


Something Old, Something New, Something Like That

by MsLetcher17



Category: Charmed (TV 2018)
Genre: Anniversary, Bonding, Bugs, Camping, College, Dancing, F/M, Fishing, Fluff, Giving Birth, Honeymoon, Mild Language, Pregnancy, Stargazing, Swearing, Wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:54:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24363121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsLetcher17/pseuds/MsLetcher17
Summary: The marvelous misadventures of Mr. & Mrs. Harry and Macy Greenwood. From marriage to parenthood and all the magic in between.
Relationships: Harry Greenwood/Macy Vaughn, Jordan Chase/Maggie Vera, Mel Vera & Swan (Charmed)
Comments: 75
Kudos: 79





	1. The Wedding Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today is Harry and Macy’s wedding day and Maggie and Mel are determined to make sure everything is absolutely perfect for their sister. No matter what it takes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I put some concept pictures for the wedding at the end of the story.  
> As always please forgive any spelling / grammar errors.

Compared to what could’ve happened today a stain was almost welcome. 

Mel would fix it. 

She and Maggie made a pact. They would do anything. ANYTHING! To make sure this day was absolutely perfect. If there was a demon uprising Mel would kill them all single handedly. She wouldn’t think twice. She would vanquish first and ask questions later. Today was Macy and Harry’s wedding day and nothing was going to ruin it. Least of all a stain. 

“Mel, it’s not coming out.” Macy’s voice was frantic as she dabbed at the unknown substance staining her ivory lace wedding dress. She looked up toward where Mel was standing at the sink in the small dressing room they were in. Mel could see the beginning of tears in her sister’s eyes. She came up with a plan to stop them before they could even start. 

“I’m going to have cast a vanishing spell on it.” Mel knew Macy didn’t want any magic on her wedding day but she was due to walk down the aisle in 45 minutes and they had more ‘getting ready’ pictures to take. 

“There’s nothing else we could do?”

“Maybe if we knew what the stain was we could figure a way to get it out without magic but I think that will take too long,” Mel insisted. “I know you didn’t want magic today but it’s just one spell I promise. Then no more.”

“Ok.” Mel could hear the hesitance in Macy’s voice but she would take the win and run with it. She took out her phone and scrolled through the list of spells she kept in the notes. 

It was Maggie’s idea actually. 

To save spells in their phones so they wouldn’t have to take the book with them to the church. She said it was just in case something happened only magic could fix. Mel was starting to think they should do it on a regular basis. Memorizing spells was all well and good but having them in your phone was better in a pinch.

“Here we go,” Mel said as she directed her gaze to the stain on the dress. It was a yellowish green color and there was no way it would go unnoticed against the soft ivory of the dress.

**Quita esta mancha.**

**No me dejes más.**

**Devuelva este artículo a nuevo.**

Before their eyes the stain disappeared and the dress was returned to its original unblemished condition. The relief in Macy’s eyes was everything to Mel in that moment. 

“See good as new.”

“Thank you Mel,” Macy enthused as she inspected the dress.”I really appreciate it.”

“Let’s save the mushy stuff for after we get you down that aisle.” Mel moved to the door and opened it to where the rest of the bridesmaids were. She gestured for them to join her and Macy in the dressing room and said, “Come on let’s get the future Mrs. Greenwood into her dress. We still need the before pictures. And we don’t want to get off Maggie’s schedule.”

“She would probably kill us if we did,” Macy said as she was being helped into her dress by Chloe and Laura, a co-worker she had become very close to over the last couple of years. “Also don’t think I forgot that was the first time you said Mrs. Greenwood. Remind me to tease you about that later.”

“I may be fundamentally opposed to a woman taking a man’s name when they get married. But if you want to be Mrs. Greenwood I will respect your choice,” Mel said as she looked for her phone. She needed to check the time. “Don’t be surprised when I bring it up every now and then though. Just to remind you of my opposition.”

“I would expect nothing less.” Macy’s smile was radiant. Mel knew Macy always dreamed of having the same last name as her husband. It was just one of those things no amount of lectures from Mel could change. By this point her argument was more out of obligation than any real desire to change Macy’s mind. Mel caught Macy’s eye and gestured toward her phone. She stepped to the side so the photographer could squeeze in. 

“I’m going to call Maggie and tell her we’re almost ready to move to the garden for pictures.”

“Ok, thank you again Mel,” Macy said. “For everything.”

“You don’t need to thank me. I will do anything to make sure this day is perfect for you and Harry. You two deserve it.” As Mel closed the door to the dressing room she heard Macy say.

“I’m glad a stain was the worst thing to happen today.” 

Mel closed the door in lieu of offering any sort of reply. 

She didn’t exactly lie when she said she didn’t know what caused the stain. It could’ve been from the demon she had to vanquish in the attic this morning. She just wasn’t sure. Macy was getting her hair and nails done for the day and Mel was tasked with getting her dress from the attic to the church. A vagrant demon they were on the trail of decided to snoop around their attic while they were out. A good plan. If only he had waited 10 minutes then he may have left their house alive. Mel used her molecular acceleration to make his head explode. This caused the rest of him to blow up too. Mel was sure the zipper was up on the garment bag the dress was in. But after she saw the stain she wasn't anymore. There was no way she was going to tell Macy, or Maggie for that matter, any of this any time soon. Maybe when they were celebrating their 10 year anniversary she would tell them about the possible origin of the mysterious stain on Macy’s wedding dress. 

***

Roses! ROSES?! Maggie triple checked with the florist to make sure they knew the sanctuary was to be decorated with peonies. White and pink peonies were meant to fill every corner of the church and instead roses were in their place. Yellow roses at that. What the hell was wrong with people. How did they get the bouquets and boutonnieres right but not the sanctuary?! Maggie was literally bending backwards to make sure this wedding was absolutely one hundred thousand percent perfect. It was like the universe was against her. She had two hours to fix this mess and the florist wasn’t picking up. This is what you get for supporting small local business. Freaking yellow roses! 

It would be ok.

Everything was going to be fine.

The wedding wasn’t for 2 hours and Maggie was going to fix everything. She pulled out her phone and went straight for her notes app. She knew it was a good idea to save some spells just in case. Otherwise this would have been a disaster. There was a good transmogrification spell she saved. That would be perfect. She would have to modify it a little but that’s nothing she hasn’t done before. 

**Yellow roses as far as the eye can see**

**Become pink and white peonies**

**For me now**

**Please**

Two hours later Maggie was standing with Macy as the other bridesmaids and groomsmen began to make their way down the aisle. The opening of Adele’s “Make you feel my love” accompanied them. She was doing final checks with Swan, whom she enlisted as a helper for anything Maggie couldn’t handle on the day of the wedding. It was almost her turn but she wanted to make sure Macy’s train was falling just right. 

“You look so beautiful Macy,” Swan gushed.

“Oh, thank you Swan,” Macy thanked her as her voice shook with last minute nerves. Swan handed Macy her bouquet. “And thank you for helping Maggie today. It really means so much to me.”

“No need to thank me just go say ‘I Do’ and leave the rest to me.” Swan walked off to her position, she was going to close the door once Maggie and Jordan were through and open it again when it was time for Macy to enter the sanctuary. 

“You really do look amazing Macy,” Maggie complimented. She was finally satisfied with Macy’s train and she needed to grab her bouquet from the side table she sat it on. 

“Come on Maggie,” Jordan started as he appeared at her side. He looked very handsome in his light grey tux with his crisp white shirt and pink and white peony boutonniere. “We’re going to miss our cue.”

“Ok I’m coming,” Maggie said as she grabbed his proffered elbow and made her way to the door they were walking through. With one backward glance toward Macy she smiled and said, “See you up there Mace.”

“Only if I don’t trip and fall on my face,” Macy joked. “That would probably be the worst thing that could happen today.”

Maggie just smiled at her and turned to make her way down the aisle. As the doors closed behind her, her only thought was: _If only you knew._

*******

_Now introducing for the first time anywhere: Mr & Mrs Harry and Macy Greenwood! _

Macy didn’t know why she ever doubted her sisters. They promised her the perfect wedding day and they absolutely delivered. Stain incident aside everything went off without a hitch. 

When she and Harry announced their engagement and Maggie proclaimed she would be the wedding planner she instructed Macy to give her a list of everything she wanted. Maggie said she would do whatever it took to fulfil everything on the list and she did. Everything was exactly how Macy had dreamed her wedding would look. From the lace accents in her dress to the white and soft pink peonies. The bubbles with ‘Mr & Mrs Greenwood 5Ever’ on the bottles. Her hair, bouquet, veil. Even the church with a garden for pictures before and after the ceremony. The same care was given to the reception. Maggie made sure even the smallest details were taken care of. Perfect wasn’t a word Macy used often but there was really no other way to describe it all. 

She couldn’t help but reflect on the day as Harry led her around the dance floor for their first dance as husband and wife to Brian McKnight’s ‘Nobody’.

“Husband?” Macy whispered in Harry’s ear as they swayed to the music.

“Yes wife?” He asked as he moved to look into her eyes. 

“Nothing,” Macy smiled. “I just wanted to hear you say that.”

His only answer was a bright smile and a soft kiss to her lips. She returned her cheek to his and caught her sisters’ eyes as they sat at the head table watching her and her new husband dance. She smiled at them. They gave twin smiles back. Maggie wiped a tear from her eye.

“Wife?” Macy couldn’t help her smile when she heard Harry’s voice in her ear.

“Yes husband?”

“Nothing,” He echoed her words. “I just wanted to hear you say that.”

She had no choice but to kiss him after that. 

Later they sat at the head table surrounded by their wedding party as they were served dinner. It was time for speeches. Macy was glad for an opportunity to sit down. Her feet were starting to hurt. It was time to change into the slippers that matched her dress. Mel and Maggie decided to do a combined toast. They said it was because they did want people hearing the same speech twice but Macy thought it was because they didn’t want to cry twice. 

“Good evening everybody,” Maggie started. “As most of you know we are Macy’s sisters Maggie and Mel.” Mel waved to the crowd when Maggie said her name. “There have been a lot of surprising things that have happened in our lives. But Macy and Harry getting together was not one of them.”

“From the moment these two met it was clear it wasn’t a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’ they would get together.” Mel continued. 

“We are sure we’re not the only ones who have experienced how gross they can get when they get lost in their own world.”

“We know many of you have stories.”

“And we would like to hear them for blackmail purposes,” Magge paused for laughter. “We’ve lost count of how many sentences they’ve finished for each other.”

“How many times they’ve gotten lost in each other’s eyes in the middle of a conversation.”

“It’s like ‘hello you’re not alone, there are other people in this room with you right now’ but do they stop?”

“No,” Mel answered. “Do they apologize awkwardly every single time it happens?”

“Yes!” Maggie exclaimed. “Is it annoying and cute at the same time? Of course it is.”

“But that’s love isn’t it?” Mel’s question was rhetorical but Maggie still nodded in reply. “Even when they argue or fight you can tell how in love they are.”

“They never hit below the belt or aim to intentionally hurt the other.”

“That’s how we know they were built to last,” Mel sniffled as she used the tissue in her free hand to dab at her watering eyes. “The phrase meant to be is thrown around alot when people talk about them.”

“But destiny and fate will only get you so far.”

“Macy and Harry have shown they are willing to put in the work needed to make sure their relationship stands the test of time.”

“And we are so very happy our sister has found someone who will make her as happy as she deserves to be.”

“And we didn’t forget about you Harry,” Mel interjected. “We are glad you have allowed yourself to be happy too.”

“We know how hard it can be to let yourself be happy. It can feel too good to be true sometimes.”

“Like a dream you wake up from as soon as it starts to get good. And that can make it scary to dive in to.”

“But we are glad that you let our sister into your heart. You deserve every happiness.”

“I think it’s time we wrap this thing up Mags,” Mel said as she grabbed the champagne flute from the nearby table she sat it on. Maggie grabbed hers as well.

“I think you’re right,” Maggie agreed as she raised her glass. Everyone else in the reception hall followed her lead. “To Macy and Harry.”

“May you continue to be as sickeningly in love as you are right now,” Mel concluded. She motioned her flute in the direction of the bride and groom while a chorus of ‘To Macy and Harry’ sounded behind her. They all took a sip of their champagne before Maggie and Mel walked back to hug their sister and new brother-in-law and reclaim their seats at the table. 

After a couple more speeches from Jordan and Chloe it was time to cut the cake. Macy insisted Harry would not see the light of the day after their wedding day if he smashed cake in her face. So he used his pinky to swipe a dab onto her cheek and proceeded to lick it off while several cameras flashed around them. Macy couldn’t help but laugh while she did the same to his nose. Once the rest of the cake was being cut and served Macy decided to make a quick speech before the dancing started. 

“Hi guys,” Macy started once the mic was handed to her. She and Harry were wrapped around each other as she spoke. “We just wanted to say a few words before all the party really got started.” She smiled at Harry then continued. “We wanted to thank everybody for coming to celebrate this day with us. My sister Maggie told me to give her a list of everything I wanted and she worked day and night for the last year and a half to make sure she checked every box.” Macy looked toward where Maggie was sitting and smiled at her. “She had a lot of help. Whether it was Swan standing in the gap when Maggie was busy or Mel knocking heads if anyone dared to tell Maggie no.” The crowd laughed as Mel called out ‘damn right’ from her seat. 

“I don’t believe in perfect days but I can honestly say this was as close to perfect as I’ve ever experienced,” Macy continued as she looked back at Harry. “The sky could’ve fallen today and marrying the love of my life would’ve been enough to make this day perfect.” She paused to give Harry a small peck. “I also know there’s no such thing as a perfect marriage but when times get tough I will always remember this as the day I married my soulmate surrounded by my friends and family. The day we started our life together as man and wife. And I’ll know good times are right around the corner. And that’s a damn near perfect day to me.”

While the crowd clapped at the end of her speech and the DJ started the music for them to dance to, Harry pulled her closer and whispered in her ear, “Many more to come my love.”

Macy had no choice but to kiss him after that. 

***

As Harry and Macy danced and laughed the night away Maggie and Mel shared a look.

_Mission Accomplished._

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it. Please comment / leave kudos at your leisure. I just wanted so more Hacy fluff to exist.
> 
> Spanish Translation:  
> Take away this blemish.  
> Let it be no more.  
> Return this item to new.


	2. The Honeymoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In retrospect Macy should’ve known letting Maggie pack her suitcase for her honeymoon was a bad idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one goes out to Nyleve_Hacy_Careese_Helliam_03. They made a comment asking for a honeymoon chapter and this idea slapped me in the face.  
> Please forgive any spelling / grammar errors

Give me a list, she said. I’ll take care of everything she said. You won’t have to worry about anything she said. Yeah right! 

Two days ago Macy Vaughn became Mrs. Macy Greenwood. Or Dr. Macy Greenwood. Dr. Mrs. Macy Greenwood? She would figure it out later. Anyway. Two days ago her sisters treated her to the perfect wedding day and now she was in Paris on her honeymoon and she had nothing to wear. And she wasn’t exaggerating either; she literally had **nothing** to wear. Well at least nothing that could be worn in public. 

Maggie booked everything. The flight, the hotel, she even gave them a list of things they could do while they were there. When Macy was freaking out over the stress of packing so soon before a wedding Maggie said she would handle that too. Macy trusted her sister to pack her a variety of outfits she could mix and match for the two weeks she and Harry would be in France. Instead Maggie sent her sister on her honeymoon with a suitcase full of lingerie. Macy and Harry had spent most of their first day here in bed so she didn’t realize her lack of clothing options until today. They _were_ going to go to the Louvre but that wasn’t happening now. 

“Darling I’m sure it wasn’t intentional,” Harry assured as he sat on the bed in their hotel suite looking down at her as she rifled through her suitcase in frustration. She may or may not have been muttering explicatives toward one of the sisters she left at home. 

“Harry,” Macy huffed as she looked up toward him. “Sweetheart. I know you’re Mr. Optimism but just...no. Not today. This is one of those sister moments that you stay out of.”

“Yes dear.” The way his face fell made Macy feel terrible for snapping at him. They were supposed to be basking in their recent wedded bliss and here she was pummeling him with her frustration. 

“I’m sorry,” She apologized as she rose and sat next to him on the bed. He grabbed her hand and interlaced their fingers once she took her seat. “The whole point of letting Maggie pack my bag was so I wouldn’t have to worry about it and now I have to pack a bag. Can you orb me home please?”

“We could buy you some new outfits here if you like.”

“No, thank you. I don’t want to pay for all new clothes when my husband can take me home to my own closet and bring me back in less than 30 minutes.” Macy was nothing if not practical. She had budgeted for some souvenirs, maybe a new purse or sweater if she found something she really liked but not two weeks worth of brand new clothes.

“You do have a point,” Harry smiled. “Your _husband_ is very resourceful.”

“He is indeed.” Macy couldn’t help but return his smile with a laugh as they rose from the bed together. She disentangled herself to close and grab the suitcase then laced their fingers together once more. In a flash the opulence of the honeymoon suite they booked was replaced with the brown wallpaper of the manor’s living room.

“I’ll run upstairs and repack,” She said as she placed a quick kiss to his cheek. “I’ll be right back.”

Harry nodded in reply and went to sit on the couch nearest to him. Macy took the suitcase upstairs and unpack all of the lingerie. Well _most_ of the lingerie. And repacked it with the outfits she thought would occupy it initially. As promised a little less than 30 minutes later she was making her way back to her new husband so they could resume their honeymoon. As she made her way to the stairs she could hear voices coming from the living room area. Harry was talking to someone and she knew exactly who it was.

“Margarita Emilia Vera!” Macy called from the top of the stairs down toward where she heard her sister’s voice.

“Hey Macy,” Maggie drew out in her ‘I’m so innocent’ voice.

“Don’t ‘Hey Macy’ me,” Macy started as she made her way to where her sister was sitting. “Did you seriously think it was a good idea to pack me a suitcase full of lingerie for my honeymoon in Paris?!”

“Maybe?” 

“I can’t go on a tour of the louvre in my underwear!” Macy was upset but there was no real heat to her words. Her sister was a character but that’s why she loved her. 

“I honestly figured you guys wouldn’t be leaving the hotel all that much,” Maggie started in defense of her actions. “I packed for the activity I figured you would be doing the most.”

“I love Harry and sex is fun but this is my first time in Paris,” Macy said. “The inside of a, very nice, hotel suite is not going to be the only thing I see while I’m there.” 

“That makes sense I guess,” Maggie conceded. “Maybe I was just trying to encourage you two to start making me some nieces and nephews.”

“And on that note we must be off,” Harry interjected. “The Louvre won’t be open all day and I’m sensing this will lead to a conversation that will last much longer than the time we allotted ourselves to get what you need.”

“You may be right,” Macy said as she grabbed the suitcase once again and took Harry’s proffered hand. “But this isn’t over Maggie.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Maggie waved her sister off as she walked past the couple toward the staircase. “Have fun you two.”

In another flash Macy and Harry were back in their hotel suite and Macy moved to set the suitcase on a side table so she could get her clothes for the day out. 

“You know I was thinking,” Macy started as she moved toward the bathroom. “Since we’re running later than expected we should probably shower together.”

“Oh?” Harry raised an eyebrow as he looked at her. “It’s funny actually. I was thinking the same thing.”

“You were?” Macy entered the bathroom and began to strip out the travel clothes she had to put back on earlier.

“You know what they say about great minds,” Harry said as he followed her lead. “They always think alike.”

***

Later, after a day of sightseeing the newlyweds decided to take a walk along the Seine. There was a vendor that sold ice cream near where they parked. They both got a cone and walked hand in hand along the river in comfortable silence. Macy thought about the day and remembered the conversation Harry interrupted earlier.

“I know two days after our wedding probably isn’t the best time to ask,” She started. Harry turned his attention from his silent musings to her. “But do you want kids and if so how many?” It really was a conversation they should’ve had before they got married. Hell they should’ve talked about this before they got engaged. But she and Harry were typically always on the same wavelength so she just assumed he would want kids. She never thought to actually ask him.

“Yes I would like children,” He replied with a smile. “And I’m flexible on a number, how about you?”

“At least two,” She said with a sigh of relief. She finished her ice cream and balled her napkin in her hand. “I always wanted a sibling growing up so not too far apart in age that way they can be best friends.”

“Well I know we’re not ready for kids right now.” He finished his ice cream and threw their napkins in the trash. He then turned back to her and took both her hands in his. “But what do you say we go back to the hotel and start practicing for when we are?”

Macy gave him a lingering kiss before she replied, “Great minds Mr. Greenwood always thinking alike.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it folks.  
> Please leave kudos / comments to your heart's content and have a good one!


	3. The Test

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Macy takes a test and passes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter that decided to slap me in the face.   
> You know the deal with the spelling and grammar.

Her period was late. 

That didn’t mean she was pregnant. Her period has been late before. But this time she waited 2 extra weeks and it still hadn’t come. She looked at the picture on her bedside table. 

Their wedding day. 

It was hard to believe it was 3 years ago. They both looked so happy. Time seemed to fly by. She couldn’t tell him. Not until she was sure. She remembered the last time this happened he was so excited. They spent the two minutes waiting for the results talking about names. But when the test came back negative the disappointment in his eyes broke her heart. That was a year and a half ago and while they hadn’t decided, in the intervening time, to start actively trying they weren’t as careful they could be.

She sat on the edge of her side of their bed and stared down at the box in her hands. Her nerves kept her from doing what needed to be done to find the answer she so desperately wanted. She didn’t necessarily want Harry with her right now. She was sure she wanted to wait to tell him once she had an answer one way or the other. But she also didn’t want to be alone. Maybe she could call one of her sisters? Or maybe she should just woman up and pee on this stick. 

She was so lost in her thoughts she didn’t hear the front door open or Mel come up the stairs until she knocked lightly on the doorframe. 

“Hey Mace,” Mel started, shaking Macy from her panic. “What’s that?”

“A pregnancy test.” Macy thought about lying but there was no point. Her sister could always see right through her. And she would find out sooner or later anyway.

“No way,” Mel gasped as she crossed the room and took a seat next to Macy on the bed. “Are you serious right now?”

“Yeah,” Macy sighed. “My period is 3 weeks late. So I bought this test. But I’ve been sitting here for an hour and I still haven’t taken it.”

“Are you scared?” Mel asked. At Macy’s nod she added, “Have you told Harry yet?”

“No, I didn’t want to tell him until after I took the test,” Macy said. “Last time I thought I was pregnant he was so disappointed when the test came back negative. I don’t want to put him through that again.”

“I’m sure he would rather be with you than have you go through this alone,” Mel said as she rubbed Macy’s arm. 

“I’m just,” Macy paused. “Nervous. I don’t even know how I would tell him.”

“You two want kids right?”

“Yes we’ve talked about it before but we haven’t decided to start trying. It’s more like we acknowledged we both want them eventually.”

“So why are you so nervous? Are you not ready for kids?” 

“I just don’t know if I want it to be positive or negative,” Macy admitted. “I’m freaking out with the possibilities of both.”

“How about you take the test,” Mel offered. “That way we can see what it says and you don’t have to worry anymore.”

Her sister did have a point. 

Why should Macy worry over the unknown when she could get the answer in two minutes? She stood from the bed and gave Mel one last smile as she exited her room to walk down to the bathroom. She hesitated at the threshold and looked back toward her room. She met Mel’s eye as she stood in the doorframe. Mel gave her another encouraging smile and that was the confidence boost Macy needed to close the bathroom door and do what needed to be done. 

When she was done she joined Mel back in her bedroom. 

“Ok,” Mel said in greeting. She set the timer on her phone and continued, “Two minutes on the clock.”

Macy sat the test on her side table and went to sit next to Mel again. But her eye caught the test as she was sitting and her nerves forced her to stand back up and pace the space between her bed and the door. 

“So do you think you’re ready for kids?” Mel repeated obviously trying to break the tense mood that had settled over the room. 

“I don’t know,” Macy answered. She stopped her pacing and leaned back against her closet door. “Like I said I want them but there was never a time where a switch flipped inside me and my brain was like ‘I want kids now’.” She wasn’t sure if her answer made sense but talking through her feelings was making her somewhat less anxious. “I guess I always figured it was one of those things you’re never really ready for so when it happened I would just take it one day at a time,” She concluded. “Does that make sense?”

“I think so,” Mel nodded. “And you’re right parenthood is something you’re never  _ really _ ready for you just have to figure it out when it happens.”

“I’ve let my insecurities talk me out of some many things in my life before I didn’t want my overthinking to convince me kids were a bad idea,” Macy said. “So I just didn’t think about it. I was leaving it to the universe.”

“Who are you and what have you done with my sister?” Mel laughed. Macy couldn’t help but join her. “Macy Greenwood not planning an aspect of her life down to the millisecond? I don’t know who you are but I think I like it.”

Macy’s faux affronted reply was cut off by the timer on Mel’s phone going off. She wanted to run back to the bed but she forced herself to walk and slowly picked up the stick from the table. She kept her eyes closed the entire time and couldn’t force them to open so she held it out to Mel.

“I can’t look,” She felt Mel take the test from her hand. “You do it, please.”

“Ok,” Mel agreed. Ten seconds went by and Mel didn’t say anything. Macy finally opened her eyes and fixed Mel with an expectant look.

“Well?” Macy asked. “What does it say?”

“You better start getting ready,” Mel started still looking down at the test in her hands. “Because you are going to have a baby!”

Mel started screaming but Macy was in a daze. She grabbed for the test and once she had it she could still barely believe it.There, printed in blue letters was the word ‘Pregnant’. Holy crap, Macy was pregnant. She looked up toward Mel but she wasn’t in front of her anymore. She was on Macy’s bed jumping up and down yelling ‘We’re going to have a baby’ at the top of her lungs. Macy couldn’t help but join her. In the scream and the jumping. 

Their celebration was interrupted a few minutes later as Maggie stormed into the bedroom baton in hand looking for a fight. 

“What the hell is wrong with you two,” She yelled looking at Macy and Mel like they lost their minds. “I came in the house and heard you guys screaming. I thought you were being attacked or something.” 

“Sorry Maggie,” Macy said out of breath, still standing on her bed. “We didn’t mean to scare you like that.”

“We’re just really excited.” Mel said.

“About what?” Maggie asked.

“This,” Macy replied as she shoved the positive pregnancy test in her sister’s face. It took Maggie a minute to register what she was looking at but when she did her face broke into a smile and she ran out of the room. Her sister’s confusion didn’t last long when the opening chords of ‘I’m So Excited’ sounded from the stereo in Mel’s room. Maggie must’ve turned it to full volume because the words were clear in Macy’s room.

Maggie ran back into the bedroom and joined her sisters on the bed. They danced to the full song and Macy considered repeating it once it went off. But the sound of the front door closing doused that plan.

“Harry’s home,” Macy exclaimed.

“Do you want to be alone when you tell him?” Maggie asked.

“No, I have a better idea.” 

“Ladies!” Harry called from downstairs. “Where are you guys.”

“In the bedroom,” Mel called out to him.

When Harry walked into the bedroom he found Macy, Maggie and Mel sitting huddled on the bed. They were suspiciously quiet as they tried to look casual. 

“What’s going on?” He asked skeptically. “Has something happened?”

“Oh nothing much,” Maggie answered looking at her sister’s.

“Yeah,” Mel continued. “You know just some sisterly bonding.” 

“Taking pregnancy tests. Having them be positive,” Macy interjected as nonchalant as she could manage. “Same old, same old.”

“Oh well that sounds…” Harry’s reply trailed off as he realized what his wife said. “Come again.”

Macy stood from the bed and went to stand in front of her husband. She looked in his eyes and handed him the test. He took it and broke their stare to look down at the object. Like Maggie, it took him a moment to process what he was seeing. 

“Is this what I think it is?”

“Yes,” Macy answered. “I haven’t gone to the doctor or anything yet but…”

“...but you’re pregnant?” His voice shook as he spoke. “Like really pregnant?”

“Yes.” His prolonged silence as he continued to look at the test began to unnerve Macy. “Is that good?”

“Oh yes,” He said, finally meeting her eyes. He had tears in his. “It’s a very good thing.” His arms enveloped her in a bone crushing hug. “I am so happy.”

“Me too.” 

Maggie and Mel joined the hug and Maggie said, “We were going to play music and dance around some more.”

“Oh by all means,” Harry answered as he unwrapped his arms from around his wife. “As long as I can join you.”

Macy could only smile at her family as Maggie ran out the room to start the song again. 

What was it she was afraid of again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it.  
> Kudos and comments are always welcome and appreciated.


	4. The Fury

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Macy's wrath would be Olympian if she wasn't so damn tired.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is definitely a little or a lot of post season 3 Piper in pregnant Macy. I regret nothing.  
> ***  
> Spelling / Grammar forgiveness as per usual  
> ***  
> I put a pic of what I think a Hacy baby would look like at the bottom.

Her sisters abandoned her. 

They left her behind and now she was all alone. And now her husband was leaving her too? What had she done to deserve such treatment?! Why did they hate her so much? This was her question for her traitorous husband as he grabbed his things on his way out the door.

“Stop being so dramatic darling,” He said with a fond roll of his eyes as he put his coat on. “You're 9 months pregnant with twins. Do you really think we’re going to let you go out demon fighting?”

“This is about the heart incident isn’t it?” Her powers had been expanding as her pregnancy progressed. To the point where she only had to briefly think of something and want it just enough and it would come to her instantly. 

They discovered this around month 5 when they were out hunting a vampire. She casually thought about moving its heart out of its body, a passing thought really, to vanquish it. Next thing she knew she was holding a heart in her hand and the vampire was melting into a pile of goo. It probably wouldn’t have been that much of a problem if her sister’s weren’t in the process of questioning it about an upper level demon they were on the trail of. 

Since then her time in the field had been severely limited. And she’s had to verbalize even her smallest want. That kept the accidental telekinesis to a minimum too. It wasn’t a problem at first. She didn’t mind the break from demon hunting. But she’s been on bedrest for the last 2 months and she was itching to get out of the house. Or guilt her family into staying with her so they could suffer too.

“It was an accident,” Macy insisted. “I promise it won’t happen again. I think I’m too tired for my powers to work anyway.”

“If you’re tired,” Harry reasoned. “Isn’t that all the more reason for you to stay home and rest?”

“No! I’ve been resting for the last two months. I’m sick of resting. I want to get out of this house and do something.” At Harry’s intake of breath Macy cut him off and continued, “And do not say I can take a walk. I’ve been on so many walks around this neighbor I know the ants by name.”

“Sweetheart,” Harry started in his calming voice as he walked over to sit on the coffee table in front of her spot on the couch. 

“Don’t sweetheart me!” She cut him off again. “These kids, _your daughters,_ are trying to kill me! They refuse to leave my body Harry!”

“Macy…”

“And I would very much like to have my body back but they are clearly in here for the long haul,” She continued as if he never spoke. “I read somewhere that physical activity can induce labor and what’s more physical than a good vanquish?”

“I would like our daughters to be born as well,” He started, as he rubbed her sweatpant covered leg. “I would very much like to meet them. And you are right, physical activity can induce labor but demon fighting is decidedly more dangerous than walking around the block for the hundredth time. And to tell the truth there shouldn’t be any action during this mission at all. It’s meant to be strictly surveillance.”

Macy couldn’t help but pout at his amiable tone. He made valid inarguable points. He had obviously caught on to her game. She was trying to start a petty argument to get him to stay. She knew he would never leave in the middle of a fight but he gave her no ammunition to force one. 

He was good. 

And she was too tired to be better. 

“You know what it’s fine,” Macy conceded. “Just leave me here like all the rest. Maybe I’ll go into labor all alone. While I’m in the house _all_ by myself.” She was laying it on thick but he wouldn’t take the bait.

“Funny you should mention being alone,” He started. And almost like they practiced it the front door opened. “Because Jordan is here to keep you company.” 

“Hey Macy,” Jordan greeted as he walked into the house.

“You mean to babysit me,” Macy glared at her husband. 

He simply smiled and rose from the table. He leaned over and placed a kiss on her forehead. “I love you and I am just an orb away if you need me.” 

“Love you too,” She pouted and he was gone a second later. “Hey Jordan.” 

“I know you would rather have Harry here,” Jordan said as he hung his coat on the hook and walked over to where she was sitting. “But I hope I’m a good consolation prize.”

“It’s not that,” Macy started as she attempted the seemingly impossible task of getting comfortable. “I’m just kind of sick of being pregnant and I want him here to suffer with me since he’s the one that did this to me.”

“Makes sense. How about we play monopoly to take your mind off it?”

“You’re on Chase.” She wouldn’t mention to Harry how the monopoly game flew into her hands with barely a thought.

Two hours later they were deep into their game of monopoly and Macy was almost all the way through her list of reasons for why pregnancy sucked. “And I’m hungry all the time but the smell of anything that’s not saltines and ginger ale makes me want to barf.”

“That’s rough,” Jordan lamented. He was trying to get his player out of jail so he could buy the boardwalk and Macy was trying to come up with a plan to stop his progress. 

“Thanks for listening Jordan.” They had moved to the dining room table to play and the seats were decidedly less comfortable than the couch. She shifted every few minutes in an effort to get as comfortable as her giant stomach would allow. “I’m sorry if I made it seem like I didn’t want to spend time with you.”

“It’s ok I understand.” And she knew he really did understand and that he wasn’t just saying that to make her feel better. 

“I…” Macy froze. Her sentence was cut off by a sharp pain. 

“Macy are you ok?” She wanted to reassure him that she was but the pain was so strong she couldn’t form the words.

“Holy fuck!” Macy exclaimed as she felt a rush of liquid between her legs. “I think my water just broke.”

“Ok stay calm,” Jordan got up from the table and grabbed a towel from the kitchen to soak up the fluid on the floor. “Where’s your bag and car keys?”

“By the door.” She tried to point in the general direction when another contraction hit and she had to brace herself as she waited for the pain to subside. 

“Ok,” He called as he walked back from the door. The baby bag rested on his shoulder and her keys were in his left hand. He offered his right to help lift her from the chair. “Come on I’m going to get you to the hospital.”

“What about Harry?” She asked once the contraction passed and she was finally able to stand from the chair. “And Mel and Maggie?”

“I’ll call them on the way and they’ll meet us there.” He sounded so sure that it was enough for her to believe his words. 

But they didn’t meet them there. When they arrived at the doors to the labor and delivery unit Harry and her sisters were nowhere in sight. “Jordan, where are they?”

“I’m sure they’re on their way.” He said as he got her settled into the wheelchair he was given at the door. “I’m going to get you checked in and call again.” 

When his numerous calls went unanswered Macy thought of a supernatural solution. “Go to the car or the bathroom or somewhere and call out his name,” She whispered to Jordan when she saw the nurses rounding the desk to take her back to her room. “I don’t know if it will work for you but it doesn’t hurt to try.” 

Jordan nodded and walked off. By the time she saw him again she was in the room hooked to every monitor the hospital owned and he was shaking his head with a defeated look. 

“They must’ve turned their phones off or maybe they don’t have good reception,” He reasoned. 

“That doesn’t explain why Harry wouldn’t be able to hear you call him.”

“Maybe there’s some sort of magic dampener or blocker or something,” He tried. “It could be muffling his ability to hear our calls. I’m sure they’re fine though.” He was a good friend and a bad liar. The uncertainty in his voice was obvious. 

“Oh, they had better be because I’m going to kill them,” Macy proclaimed through gritted teeth as another contraction hit. “All three of them slowly. And I’m going to enjoy every second of it.” Her threat was cut off by the arrival of another particularly painful contraction. They were getting closer together and she was getting scared Harry wouldn’t make it. 

“Oh God Jordan my stubborn ass children have chosen the most inopportune moment to be born and their stupid father is not here and I would really love it if they would stop trying to be born but they just keep coming.” She wasn’t being very nice to her husband or her daughters but, for reasons she had no time to understand, being mean was making her feel better. If only slightly. 

“I know Macy. I know.” He was holding one of her hands and pressing a cool towel to her forehead with the other. 

She was very grateful to Jordan. He let her ramble without telling her to shut up, or trying to spin her anxious negativity into something constructive and positive, but he wasn’t Harry. And she needed Harry. 

Like right now. 

Long minutes passed and her contractions were getting closer and closer. Maybe this was her telekinesis. Maybe she had wanted the twins to be born too much before. Maybe if she focused on them not being born her labor would slow down. But she couldn’t focus on anything but the pain she was in. Then she couldn’t focus on anything but the nurses probing fingers as they checked her progress every 5 minutes. Then the doctors were coming in and things were being moved and she was being prepped to start pushing and _Oh God!_ Harry wasn’t here yet. 

Jordan put his arm behind her back while she grabbed her legs for the first push. It was hard and painful and she called out Harry’s name through the entire thing. Then in a blink he was at her other side. Before she could even say anything he wiped the memories of the hospital staff and she was pushing their first born daughter into the world.

“I want to punch you in your beautiful face right now.” While her statement was directed to her husband she couldn't take her eyes off her daughter.

Several hours and pushes and tears later both of their daughters were happy and healthy and a perfect mix of her and Harry. Twenty fingers and toes accounted for. Thick dark brown hair. Complexion, a shade lighter than their mother’s, but if the tips of their ears were any indicator it would eventually be a little darker than hers. She couldn’t get a good look at their eyes but Macy thought she saw blue or gray maybe even green. They would probably change as the twins got older too. She and Harry were both huddled on the cramped hospital bed, each holding a newborn, in comfortable silence before she spoke. 

“But I am so tired from pushing your children out of my body I know it’s going to be a light tap. So when I have more energy I am going to punch you in the face for almost missing the birth of our children.” 

“I thought your temper would cool once the babies were born,” He joked. 

“The hormones don’t follow the babies out. They’re here to stay for a while.” She managed a small glare as she continued. “What the hell Harry?”

“I am so sorry but that island had horrible cell reception.”

“So how did the call go through?” She asked, more than a little confused. 

“It didn’t actually.” He was still looking at the daughter he was holding and she kind of wished he would look at her because her confusion was mounting. 

“What?” She asked.

“I didn’t see any of the calls until I got back here.”

“So how did you know to come.” She tried to shift in the bed to look at him better but there was no space for her to move. “Did you hear me or Jordan call you then?”

“No, I think there was some sort of magic dampener where we were. I felt it,” He replied rather cryptically. 

“Felt what?” Her frustration was beginning to overcome her exhaustion. “If there was a magic dampener and you couldn’t hear us? Did you sense me?”

“No, I felt the pain of your first push.” He answered. “It was like it was happening to me and I just knew I needed to be here with you so I came straight away.”

She didn’t know how to reply to that. In the years they had been together they had gotten very close. Obviously. To the point where she could sense how he was feeling in certain situations. But she thought that was a normal couple thing so she never really dwelled on it. She would have to keep that one in the back of her mind for further investigation when she had more time and energy.

“I am so sorry love,” He apologized. “I know how much you wanted me to stay with you and the one time I don’t this happens. How can I make it up to you?”

She loved him so much. “I guess you did orb into a crowded room for me and them,” She gestured to the babies they were cradling. “So I’ll let you off easy.”

“Thank God. I love you so much," He declared as he continued to look adoringly at their daughter. 

“I love you too but easy doesn’t mean you’re free,” She amended. “Just that I won’t be as harsh in your punishment as I could be.”

“I would expect nothing less dear,” He said as he placed a light kiss on her forehead. His charm wasn’t going to get him out of cleaning the entire attic on Saturday. He just didn’t know it yet. 

A soft knock drew their attention to the door. Mel and Maggie walked in with balloons and a teddy bear respectively. Jordan trailed behind them empty handed.

“Hey guys,” Mel started in her soft placating ‘don’t be mad at me’ voice. “Sorry we’re late.”

“Yeah traffic was horrible.” Maggie’s attempt at a joke fell flat as Macy glared tired daggers towards her two sisters. Jordan sat in the chair in the corner of the room. 

“I am fading fast,” Macy started. “But when I regain my strength I’m going to treat Jordan to pancakes for being here for me and then you two will feel my wrath.”

“It was no problem Macy,” Jordan replied from his seat. 

“The temper didn’t leave when the babies did huh?” Mel asked as she tied the balloons around the leg of the side table. 

“No it did not,” Harry muttered under his breath. Just for that she was going to make him clean out the garage too.

“The lecture can come later.” Maggie waved away Macy’s threats and set the teddy bear on Jordan’s lap. She then took a seat on the edge of the bed. “Tell me who's who?”

“Harry’s holding Meghan Vera Greenwood,” Macy started as she gestured, with her chin, to the baby in Harry’s arms. “And I have Madison Emilia Greenwood.”

“Aww you used our last name and Maggie’s middle name?” Mel gushed as she gazed at her new nieces.

“I knew you still loved us.” Maggie motioned to Madison and Macy passed her over.

“Yeah, yeah,” Macy hummed as she drifted to sleep. “You won’t be saying that when you’re cleaning the attic with Harry.” 

Before any of her family could protest Macy was fast asleep. The excitement of the day finally caught up with her. She dreamt of her babies and all the fun ways she was going to torture her husband for almost missing their birth. She didn’t know why but it soothed her.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know mean Macy is OOC but she can be snarky in cannon when she lets loose so I figured she would be too tired to be tense and awkward while pregnant.  
> Please comment / kudo at your leisure and tell what you thought.


	5. The Last One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Third time's the charm? Three strikes, you're out? You could say it however you wanted but this, was the last one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of the chapter and the description will all make sense soon I promise.  
> Just for reference the twins are 6 in this chapter.  
> Spelling and grammar forgiveness and all that jazz.

Harry woke to a sight that was familiar but no less beautiful than the first time he woke to it. His beautiful wife. This morning was made slightly different. It was their tenth wedding anniversary. Later they would be having a dinner party to celebrate. Glancing at the clock on her nightstand he saw it was still early. Macy’s face was relaxed with sleep so he took a minute and admired every angle.

Looking at her it was hard to believe ten years had passed since they became husband and wife. Not one line or wrinkle lived on her face. The dark brown of her hair remained unbroken by any single grey hair. The more mature air granted by years of motherhood was the only indication any time had passed. 

Harry was conflicted.

He wanted to kiss her. Maybe even indulge in an early morning quickie. He also wanted her to sleep. They were up late last night, partaking in an early anniversary celebration, after they finally got the kids to sleep. It was, in a word, vigorous. But also reckless knowing they had to be up early to get the house ready for their guests. Deciding to let his wife sleep, Harry rose from the bed as quietly as possible. He would get started on breakfast so he would have the energy to wrangle their daughters once they woke up. At the threshold of their bedroom he took one last look back and blew a kiss to the sleeping form of his soulmate. God he loved that woman. 

***

About two weeks after Maggie and Jordan welcomed their son, Malcolm, into the world Macy discovered she was pregnant for the second time. She and Harry decided it was time to invest in a home of their own and moved their growing family out of the Vera manor. They didn’t go far. Right across the street actually. That way demon fighting and babysitting were convenient for all parties involved. 

Throughout the house there were touches of their life together but the kitchen was Harry’s domain. Generally he deferred to Macy for baked goods and holiday meals but for the most part no one else was allowed. 

Today that was not the case. Macy had been flying around all day, cooking the food they would serve at the party. Harry suggested they get the event catered but quickly retracted when Macy gave him “the look”. Saying it was too special of an occasion to not have a home cooked meal she insisted on cooking everything. His job was to clean the children and keep them occupied until the guests began to arrive. 

After hours of being triple teamed he needed a break. Sneaking away from the kids he went downstairs in hopes of begging his wife to switch places with him. 

“I thought you were going to keep them busy while I finished setting up,” Macy recounted when he entered the kitchen in lieu of a greeting. Stepping behind her he wrapped his arms around her middle and placed a kiss to her cheek. She was stirring lemonade but stopped when she saw him approach.

“They realized they outnumbered me and organized,” He replied. “They’ve mounted a revolution and I didn’t stand a chance. I was wondering if you would tag in.”

“Did you bribe them with candy so they would behave?” Turning in his arms she placed hers on his shoulders. He moved his hands to her hips and pulled her closer to him. 

“What do you take me for? An ameteur?” He asked affronted that she would think so little of him. He was tempted to pretend to clutch his non-existent pearls but his hands were busy rubbing circles into her hip bones. “I know our children. They turned on me and demanded to stay up thirty minutes past bedtime _and_ two extra stories. I gave into their demands and they still won’t calm down.”

“Extortionist.” Macy’s faux serious tone was undercut by the laugh he could feel bubbling from her chest. “I’m pretty sure they get that from you.”

“ _I’m_ positive they get that from Maggie,” He declared. “It’s that damn Marissa.”

“Harry! She’s 3.” Pushing out of his arms he watched as she walked to the oven, opened it and grabbed the mini quiches out. Marissa was they’re youngest daughter and she was the opposite of her sisters in almost every way. Where Meghan and Madison were quiet and generally well behaved, Marissa was outspoken and liked to test her limits and her parents boundaries as often as possible. Harry and Macy were considering binding her powers. Until what age they weren’t sure. The prospect of her teen years with powers was scary but they hadn’t made a decision just yet. She was very young so it was possible she would mellow with age. Unlikely but possible. 

“What?! She’s a mini version of Mel and we’re paying the price for it.”

“You’re not wrong,” She agreed as she placed the mini appetizers on the counter. 

“Did I hear someone say my name?” A voice no doubt belonging to Mel called from the dining room making its way toward the kitchen. He didn’t hear her come in the house but, considering she still had her jacket on, she must’ve just arrived. 

“Yes,” Harry answered once she crossed into the kitchen. He walked to her and gave her a hug as he continued, “We were just talking about your little clone upstairs.”

“I take that as a compliment.” Moving from Harry she gave Macy a quick hug then went to the mud room off the kitchen. When she came back her shoes and jacket were gone. “We need more badass, take charge women in the world. And I will be more than happy to make sure my niece becomes one.” 

“I don’t know,” Harry shrugged. “I think one Mel may be enough for this world.”

“Honestly,” Macy interjected with a laugh. “One Mel is probably too much for this world.

Sticking her tongue out at them, in a spot on impression of the little girl they were speaking of, Mel replied, “I’m going to find my nieces. And maybe I’ll teach them a few new words just because I feel like it.” She left the kitchen with a flourish. 

“Mel!” Macy called after her sister’s retreating form. “Don’t you dare!” Mel continued up the stairs without acknowledging Macy’s command. She turned to Harry and huffed, “I will go stop that trainwreck and make sure the girls are still clean. Can you finish putting everything in the dining room please?” 

“Of course sweetheart. Thank you for the break.” Harry placed a small kiss on her lips.

“We’re a team. We have to take turns in the madness so we both don’t go crazy at the same time.” She sent him one last smile before following Mel up the stairs to the play room the girls were currently destroying. 

For the next twenty minutes Harry got lost in the rhythm of putting the finishing touches on their dinner. He took the spinach dip out of the oven, moved the ice from the freezer to the punchbowl and set their alcoholic selections just out of reach of small hands on the buffet. It was hard to guess only ten people were coming over with how much food Macy cooked. Their kitchen was a decent size but it felt much smaller now that every inch was covered with the abundance of dishes she prepared. On his most recent run to the grocery store he made sure to get some styrofoam to-go containers. He was going to make sure their guests were fed for the rest of the week. 

He was arranging the desserts around the alcohol on the buffet table when his rhythm was broken by the ring of the doorbell. Though he expected one of their friends he wasn’t surprised when he found Swan at the door. Months ago they gave her a key for emergencies and she took the term to heart. Where Maggie and Mel frequently let themselves into the Greenwood home, whether his family was there or not, Swan always rang the doorbell. The only time she used the pink Hello Kitty key Macy had made for her was when she picked the girls up from school and brought them home. 

Smiling at her as he opened the door, he greeted, “Good evening Swan. Thank you for coming.”

“Any opportunity to get out of the house is one I will jump at.” Looking down at her swollen belly in her pastel blue dress she laughed and amended, “Figuratively of course.” 

“Of course,” Harry agreed with a laugh and stepped aside allowing her to enter the house. Standing behind her in the doorway he called up the stairs, “Mel! Swan is here!” 

“Don’t move! I’m coming!” Mel’s statement proceeded a clamering sound similar in volume and urgency to his girls after he’s announced they can have dessert before dinner. Upon arriving in the foyer, Mel’s hands immediately land on Swan’s stomach as she starts an interrogation about her day. “How are you feeling? Have you been on your feet all day? Come on let’s sit down and put your feet up. I’ll get you some cherry juice to help with the swelling.”

Swan looked back at Harry as she permitted Mel to pull her to the couch and rolled her eyes fondly. As she approached her seventh month of pregnancy Mel was actively redefining the word overprotective. Harry always thought they would make a cute couple but anytime he brought it up Mel would deny anything more than friendship between them. 

It was difficult to fathom that about a year ago, after a particularly painful break up, Mel decided she wanted to be a mother and was no longer willing to wait for a long term relationship to become one. Unfortunately, not too long after, she was told she would be unable to carry a child to term. But Mel, ever resourceful, wouldn’t be held down for long. 

A month after she began her search for a surrogate she decided to ask Swan. The two women had, very surprisingly considering how different they were, became good friends over the years and the petite woman was more than happy to agree to carry Mel’s child. Harry took on the role of voice of reason and reminded Mel of the power issues Macy and Maggie both experienced during their respective pregnancies. He told Mel, unless she wanted to bind the baby’s powers in utero, which was not guaranteed to work, she would have to tell Swan about the existence of magic. 

Swan handled the news generally well. She only hyperventilated twice. Once when they showed her their powers and again when they told her what happened with the ghost that was after Jordan. After sitting on a park bench for an hour, when they got to the part about powers during pregnancy, she came back to the manor and reaffirmed her agreement to help Mel bring a child into the world. 

Throughout the pregnancy Mel tried to keep Swan’s stress levels down. Between that and the use of a power suppressing potion they’ve been able to keep any accidental magic to a minimum. Harry was grateful for that in times like these, when Mel was at peak neurosis, because, if he was using Macy’s first pregnancy as a measure, he’s sure Swan would’ve teleported Mel to Mars by now. 

Smile still on his face, he turned to close the door but saw two more people coming up the walk, a little boy with them and he stood aside once again. 

“Hello, you three,” He greeted. “Long time no see.”

He was being sarcastic of course. With Maggie, Jordan and Malcolm living right across the street they saw each other just about everyday. Once the young family made it to the porch Harry made an exaggerated bow toward the boy in Jordan’s arms and affected an even more exaggerated version of his accent as he said, “Lord Malcolm.”

Malcolm loved Harry’s accent and got a kick out of it when he was super proper. Maggie had to stop letting him watch PBS after 2pm. Harry would typically bow and address the four year old as lord just to get a laugh out of him. He was obviously successful as he heard the loud laugh of his nephew and spied his head thrown back practically falling out of his father’s arms. Standing straight once more he continued, “You guys are right on time. I must say I’m surprised.”

“Maggie wanted to make sure we were on time so Mel couldn’t say we were late,” Jordan laughed as he set his son on his feet. 

“Makes sense. Come in. Come in,” Harry waved them into the house. “Macy is upstairs getting the girls dressed, Mel is in the living room smothering Swan and I’m putting the finishing touches on our meal.” 

Maggie looked toward the dining room and commented, “Macy made enough to feed an army huh?” 

“Several armies,” Harry nodded.

Maggie chuckled and gave Harry a pat on the shoulder before she ran up the stairs to join Macy. Jordan took Malcolm by the and and led him to the living room to join Mel and Swan. Harry’s name being called from a car that had just stopped outside at the end of the walk halts him from closing the door. It was Ray. He supposed it was a good thing most of his family decided to show up at the same time. It saved him from having to walk back and forth to let them in. 

“Good evening Ray.” Even after ten years it felt weird to call Mel and Maggie’s father Ray instead of Raymond. But Harry knew it made him uncomfortable, like he was a guest and not family, when he addressed him with his full name. So even though it went against his nature, and since of properness in the face of seniority, he always made an effort to call him Ray. It was the little things sometimes. 

“Hell Harry. Happy anniversary.” Ray greeted, handing him a bottle of wine once he was through the door. “That’s a 1902 Château D'yquem. The robust flavor is perfect for celebrations.”

“Thank you very much.” Harry patted him on the back and looked at the bottle in his hand. “This is a good year. Too bad we won’t be able to enjoy it for a while.” 

Making a face of confusion, Ray went to speak when a trio of loud voices called from up the stairs, “Papa!”. Marissa and the twins raced toward their adopted grandfather. Macy and Maggie followed at a more subdued pace. Thoroughly distracted, Ray laughed as they slammed into him and practically tackled him to the ground attaching themselves to his legs. Conversation forgotten, Harry walked toward the kitchen to set the wine in the cooler for a later date. On the way he almost had to jump out the way as Malcolm ran past him to join his cousins on Ray’s legs.

They were waiting for a few more people and Harry knew Macy wouldn’t want to start dinner until they arrived. He poked his head into the living room and asked the remaining occupants if they wanted a drink. Mel and Jordan answered with simultaneous nods while Swan held her glass of cherry juice up in refusal. Nodding Harry returned to the kitchen to get their drinks while they waited for everyone else. Catching Macy’s eye as he walked to the living room, she was trying to convince the girls and Malcolm to go easy on Ray, he sent her a smile and mouthed ‘I love you’. She blew him a quick kiss back. A gagging noise from Mel brought his gaze to her as she teased him for his cheesiness. 

***

Harry and Macy were waving goodbye to their departing friends after dinner when Marissa ‘reminded’ him of his promise that the kids could watch a movie before bed. He didn’t actually remember making that promise, and he would be less than surprised if she made it up, but he figured they deserved a reward for being so well behaved during dinner. He was sure they would be knocked out before the first song finished and he was more than ok with that. Setting them up in his office he closed the door and walked back to the living room to rejoin his remaining family members. Ray left once the movie was announced, probably to avoid getting sucked into watching it with them, but Mel, Maggie, Jordan and Swan lingered for a nightcap. 

“Moana?” Macy asked as he reclaimed his spot next to her on the loveseat. 

“You know it,” Harry laughed and grabbed his slice of cake from the coffee table. “It’s the only movie that will soothe the savage beast that is Marissa.”

“Harry!” Macy gasped in mock affront. “You need to stop talking mean about your daughter.”

“I’m never mean to her face,” He reasoned, licking the icing from his fork. “Only behind her back.” 

“That doesn’t make it better,” Maggie giggled from her seat on Jordan’s lap on the couch across from him and Macy. 

“She can be a handful. I have to get my frustration out somehow. But she knows I love her.” Winking toward Maggie he placed a sugary kiss on Macy’s cheek before he continued, “Now, I was promised a good story when I got back. Mel?”

“I was just saying I remembered on your wedding day there was a stain on Macy’s dress that may or may not have come from a demon I had to vanquish that morning and how I decided I wasn’t going to tell you about it until your tenth anniversary.” A sleeping Swan’s head rested on Mel’s shoulder as she rubbed soothing circles into her stomach. 

“I _knew_ there was something weird about that stain,” Macy exclaimed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I wanted to make the day perfect for you,” Mel shrugged, as best she could, sheepishly. “I didn’t want my vanquish to be the thing that ruined your wedding. Also I was afraid Maggie would kill me if I told her.”

“She would’ve.” Jordan mumbled in a definite tone. His head was thrown back on the couch and his eyes were closed. 

“He’s right,” Maggie confirmed with a nod. 

“See,” Mel waved her free hand in her younger sister’s direction while she looked at her older sister. 

“It doesn’t matter now. That day was perfect, stain or not, and you three did that for me. Thank you,” Macy thanked her sisters and the sleeping form of her friend. Her smile fell as the sound of “How Far I’ll Go” grew louder from the office. Using her ‘mom voice’ Macy called out, “Volume down!” Her smile returned as the song faded. 

“How does it feel to be completely outnumbered?” Maggie asked the couple. 

“We knew having any number of kids would be a challenge but when the small people outnumber the adults it’s all a matter of establishing who’s boss and not letting them forget it,” Macy answered. 

“No I meant Harry,” Maggie amended. “How does it feel to be the only male surrounded by women in the house?” 

“We’re thinking about trying for another but Maggie is nervous it will be another boy,” Jordan supplied eyes still closed. Harry was starting to believe he may have been talking in his sleep. 

“Well, to answer your question. It’s…” Harry paused and looked to his wife. She was staring at him intently and he knew the rest of his night was going to go was dependent on his answer to Maggie’s question. He answered as politically correct as he could manage “...an adventure everyday. It’s a challenge sometimes but I love my ladies and I can promise you walks alone are a great way to get a break,” He finished with a wink in Macy's direction. She only laughed and swatted at his shoulder.

“Good to know,” Maggie sighed. Her fears were clearly not eased by his words. 

“I look at it this way,” Harry started in his best soothing whitelighter voice. “Macy is an amazing person. She lights up the world and having all girls is just me putting more light into the world. If you have another boy that’s just putting more of the best things of Jordan into the world.”

“That makes sense. Thanks Harry,” Maggie smiled. 

“Even still I’m hoping it will change soon,” Harry added as his joking tone returned. “Because if the next one is a girl I’m probably going to have to buy stock in Ben and Jerry’s.” 

“You still have two more months to wait for the answer to that one,” Macy giggled as she interlocked their fingers. A brief silence enveloped the room before a gasp from Maggie broke it.

“Wait...are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“Yes ma’am,” Macy nodded. “We are expecting one last nugget.”

“Congratulations!” The room erupted in smiles and happiness until Mel shushed them gesturing to a still sleeping Swan. 

Jordan, finally opening his eyes, questioned, “What are you going to do if it’s another girl? Try again?”

“Oh no!” Macy and Harry exclaimed together. Harry continued, “We’re hoping the third time’s the charm.”

“I was thinking more along the lines of three strikes and you’re out,” Macy added. “Either way _this_ is the last one.” 

“I’ll drink to that,” Mel raised her drink in a toast and laughed when she saw the look on Macy’s face. “What? You’re mean when you’re pregnant. I don't know if we could handle a fourth time."

"I'm not mean when I'm pregnant!" Macy gasped and turned to Harry. "Am I mean when I'm pregnant?"

It was _way_ too late for an argument so Harry decided to kiss Macy into silence before one could start. Mel’s statement had merit but Harry valued his life too much to agree with her. Out loud. 

“Since we’re coming clean,” Maggie started in an obvious effort to change the subject. “I have something to tell you about the flowers in the sanctuary.” 

*** 

They had finally reached the end of their day. The rest of their guests had left, the kids were across the street for the rest of the weekend and the house was as clean as they could hope. 

“Did you have fun tonight?” He asked as he closed the refrigerator. 

“I did,” She answered with her hands still in the soapy dish water. “A small dinner with family and friends was the perfect way to celebrate our anniversary.” He just nodded in reply. 

Harry had a surprise dinner at their favorite restaurant planned for tomorrow. He was going to give Macy the three karat ruby ring he designed specially for her. He had also booked a night in the presidential suite at a hotel downtown. He was determined to spoil his wife and she would just have to deal with it. 

Tonight though he walked to the stereo system in their living room and queued a song to play through the speakers wired through the first floor. Brian McKnight’s voice flowed through the air as Harry returned to the kitchen. Finding his wife leaning against the counter, wiping her hands clean with a dish towel, he extended his hand and asked, “Care to dance?”

“Always,” was her powerfully simple reply. 

Cheek to cheek they swayed to the music and Harry took a minute to think about the last ten years of his life. He could only hope the next ten would be as wonderfully chaotic. The stories Mel and Maggie shared about their wedding made him think of something.

“Wife?” He whispered into Macy’s ear. He felt her smile widen before she responded.

“Yes husband?”

“Nothing, I just wanted to hear you say that.” Moving so they were face to face once more Macy smiled and rewarded him with a kiss. Pulling back he continued, “Happy anniversary darling.”

“Happy anniversary. Many more to come my love.”

* * *

Here's the ring Harry got Macy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See I told you it would make sense.  
> Kudos / comments always welcome and appreciated.


	6. The Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Macy have a very important and sensitive talk with their children.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter was meant to be the last chapter for a while but I started thinking about how it would be nice to see Harry and Macy actually interact with their kids and this was born.  
> ***  
> For reference the twins are 10 - Marissa is 7 and their youngest is 3  
> Do you think the new baby was a boy or girl?

In the years after Macy, her sisters and Harry took down the faction they’d built a foundation with the money and assets seized from the Shea Group. To the outside world The MV3H Charity Foundation was an organization that built affordable housing across the globe and helped with education expenses and job placement. Among other things. But to the magical community their buildings were safe havens, similar to Safe Space, where they could be free and protected from any remaining faction members who may wish to harm them.

They’d spent ten years growing the foundation. Once it was able to stand on its own the family decided it was time to follow their own dreams. Maggie went to Seattle University and earned her PHD in psychology. She started a position as counselor at the same school soon after. Mel stayed at MV3H as chief operating officer. Bossing people around was truly her calling. Harry joined Maggie at SU as an adjunct Women’s Studies professor. And Macy opened the bakery of her dreams,  _ Charmed Treats. _

For she and Harry following their dreams also meant having flexible jobs where they could be available for their children. The prospect of having four kids under ten with powers was daunting. When the twins started kindergarten they wanted to make sure they would be able to drop anything in case something happened. At the beginning of each school year they told their teachers they were  _ always _ available. No matter what. That went double for Marissa. Macy suspected they thought she and her husband were those weird super protective parents. But they were honestly just trying to make sure no kid got orbed to a volcano because they were picking on one of the girls. They very briefly considered homeschool but realized it wasn’t feasible considering they didn’t want to go insane from being around their kids 24/7. 

Wednesdays were Macy’s day to pick the girls up from school. Harry taught a late graduate class. She liked to come home early to take a nap in preparation of wrangling her children by herself most of the night. Therefore seeing his car in the driveway when she pulled up to the house was a surprise. The three pairs of eyes spying her arrival through the living room window was an even bigger and more concerning surprise. Something was wrong. A small part of her hoped someone was sick or something else simple and human. She was not in the mood for any magical shenanigans today. 

Walking through the front door she was bombarded by hugs. She tried to focus but it was hard with each girl speaking at the same time. 

“Hi mommy!” Madison greeted as her chin dug into Macy’s side while she looked up at her. “How was your day?”

“Why are you home so early?” Came Marissa’s voice from where her face was pressed into her back.

“Did daddy call you?” Meghan mumbled into her stomach. 

“No daddy didn’t call me.” She tried to shuffle toward the living room but her daughters weren’t cooperating so she was stuck in her spot. Looking around she asked, “Where is he anyway?”

“Right here,” Harry called walking out of the kitchen toward their writhing mass of daughters. “And where did I tell you ladies to stay until it was time to talk?”

Macy’s heart broke as their little faces fell and they disentangled from her to walk back to the couch. Turning to Harry she wanted to ask what was wrong. When their eyes met she knew it was ‘private adult conversation’ time. The kind not meant for little ears. 

Walking over to stand in front of the couch in crouched to be eye level with the kids and continued, “Swan will be here with Maceon soon. Mommy and I are going upstairs to talk. You three are to stay  _ on this couch _ until we get back. Do I make myself clear?”

Three sheepish nods answered his question. Standing he gestured for her to follow and made his way toward their bedroom. Once the door was closed Macy began stripping out of her work clothes. She inquired, “What did Marissa do and how much is it going to cost to fix?”

“Not Marissa,” Harry sighed and sat on the edge of her side of the bed. 

“Ok. Not Marissa.” Undress she walked to the dresser and pulled out a pair of yoga pants that were ugly but comfortable. “Maceon is young but three isn’t too early to be a troublemaker. He must take after his big sister I guess.”

“Not Maceon either.”

“Well that only leaves the twins.” Yoga pants on Macy walked to the closet to look for a shirt to throw on. 

“And it wasn’t Madison so…” Harry let his sentence trail for her to pick up his hint. 

“Meghan?!” Macy was so shocked she stopped her search. Turning to Harry in her ugly yoga pants and bra she continued in disbelief, “Meghan did something bad at school? Sweet, quiet Meghan? Who goes through books faster than we can buy them? Who won’t even take an extra cookie after dinner? What did she do?” 

“Apparently she wanted to impress her ‘friends’ so she orbed the good markers from behind Ms. Addison’s desk to their table.” Harry dropped his head into his hands and rubbed them over his face.

“Wha…?!” Macy was so horrified she couldn’t form a sentence. 

“I got there as soon as I felt her magic,” Harry reassured. “I quickly wiped everyone’s memories and signed the girls out for the day. I was just about to call you when you pulled up.”

“What did you tell the school?”

“I said it was a family emergency.”

“We’re going to have to think of something else to tell them. They’re going to start getting suspicious of all these ‘family emergencies’.” Macy turned back to the closet and reached in the back pulling out her favorite Safe Space hoodie. She pulled it over her head and smoothed it down her sides. 

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. I think we have more important things to discuss right now.”

Walking to the bed Macy pushed Harry back so he was sitting straight. She said on his lap and said, “It’s a good thing we gave them those magic detecting necklaces right?” Nodding Harry nuzzled his nose into her neck. A few minutes passed in silence before Macy spoke again, “I know we have a lot to talk about but can I take a second to acknowledge how surprised I am that Marissa wasn’t the first one to use her powers in public?”

“I know right?!” Harry brought his face out of her neck and she saw his surprise evident in his eyes. “I’m glad I didn’t put money on that one.” 

“Right?!” Macy looked away for a second and bit her lip before she wondered, “Should we apologize to her? For assuming the worst.” 

“No,” Harry shook his head. “She’ll do something eventually and we’ll be right again. We can’t let her have this. She’ll never let us forget it.” 

“We’re good parents.” Macy affirmed. 

“Damn right we are!” Harry and Macy shared a high five before the somber mood returned. “Back to the topic at hand. What should we do?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t think we would have to deal with intentional magic until at least high school. What do you think?”

“Maybe we should revisit the idea of binding their powers.” At Macy’s scrunched up face he continued, “Just until they’re like twenty.” 

“I don’t know,” Macy sighed. “I wanted to learn witchcraft and how to control their powers when they were younger so they would already have control when they got older.”

“I know that was the original idea but Macy, we have four children. Puberty is right around the corner for two of them and the one we thought we had to worry about the most is currently the least of our concerns. Do you think we can realistically handle all of them with powers?”

“Honestly? I’m not sure. But I would like for us to exhaust all our options before we go there.”

“Ok,” Harry agreed. “But that doesn’t answer the question of what we should do in  _ this _ situation.”

The problem was this was the first time this had happened for  _ any _ of their children. So the punishment they passed for this infraction would set the tone for all future magic use. They would have to not only make an example of their eldest daughter but reinforce the necessity of the rules. 

They fought against the faction for too many years to treat public magic use lightly. Macy and Harry didn’t want to scare their kids but they needed them to understand that some people don’t find magic  _ cool _ . And those people won’t care if they were just children. If they could find them they would exploit their powers for their own personal gain. Or extract them and leave them dead in the process. 

The thought kept Macy up some nights. Part of the reason she didn’t want to bind their powers was so they would have a way to defend themselves. But she would if it meant keeping them safe. As a last resort. 

“I have an idea.”

***

Walking back into the living room ten minutes later they found Swan keeping their collective kids entertained. Their footsteps caught her attention and she stood from the couch meeting them in the middle. 

“Hey Swan.” Macy pulled her into a hug. “Thank you for hanging with the munchkins while Harry and I spoke.”

“It was absolutely no problem. Mackenzie, Maceon and I were going to go for a walk when Harry text. I’m sure she prefers spending time with all her cousins and not just her boring mama.” When Mackenzie was born three years ago Mel and Swan agreed to a co-parenting arrangement. With Mel’s schedule so busy at the time they decided moving in together was the best option for all involved. Last Macy heard they were sharing a bed too. Mel tried to say it was to save water and detergent by only washing one set of sheets. Macy figured if her sister was that set on her lies she would never admit the truth under pressure so she would let her tell her on her own when she was ready. 

“You are anything but boring,” Harry assured with a hug. “We’ll see you three on Saturday at the festival right?”

“We wouldn’t miss it. Come Mackenzie.” Returning to the couch she picked her daughter up and went to the front door. Harry and Macy trailed just behind them. Swan continued, “Mackenzie and I double teamed Mel with our famous guilt trip so she would take the day off and come with us.” 

“She never stood a chance,” Mackenzie said in an obvious imitation of something she heard someone else say. It was adorable. Mel had a tendency to get absorbed in work and miss the world passing her by. Swan was working to make sure she actually enjoyed life and their daughter while she had the chance. It was slow going but Macy knew Swan was as determined, if not moreso, as Mel and she wasn’t giving up anytime soon.

“We’re a great team,” Swan said as she bounced Mackenzie in her arms before she set her on her feet on the floor. “Say bye to your aunt and uncle.”

“Bye Auntie Macy. Uncle Harry. See you later.” Mackenzie hugged their legs quickly before she went back to her mother. Swan led her out the door by the hand and Macy closed it behind them after one final wave. 

Interlacing the fingers of his left hand with her left she and Harry walked back to the living room together. Their daughters and son sat in a row on the couch. Macy and Harry sat on the coffee table across from them. 

“Ok guys,” Macy started with a deep full body breath. “We need to have a talk.” 

“Aren’t we a little too young for that particular talk?” Marissa asked, eyes wide. 

“First off, nice vocab word use,” Harry commended. “Second that’s not the talk we need to have Ms. Smarty Pants.” 

“As I was saying,” Macy interjected with a quick look in Harry’s direction. “We need to have a talk about magic.” At Macy’s words Meghan visibly sunk deeper into the cushion. “Earlier today at school Meghan used her powers at school to impress her classmates.” 

At three Maceon was too young to fully understand what was going on but Madison and Marissa did. Their heads turned to their eldest sister in unison, jaws dropped. 

“Really?” Madison asked. She was the more outspoken of the two but not by much. She was very artistic and typically expressed herself through her paintings. 

“Oh my gosh!” Marissa exclaimed with an ear splitting laugh. “I didn’t think you had it in you Meg. Can I get an allowance raise since it wasn’t me?”

“No…” Harry looked to Macy for confirmation. She shook her head and he continued, “Yeah, no. Now let your mother finish.”

“Thank you. So, your father was able to wipe everyone’s memories. That’s why he signed you all out of school early.” Macy finished. 

“We have rules about this Meghan. What would possess you to break them?” Harry switched to ‘dad voice’ and Meghan jumped at the sound. 

Lowering her head until her chin hit her chest she mumbled, “I don’t know. Davy Michaels said I’m not cool because all I do is read. I knew if I got the markers he would think I was cool but I couldn’t figure out any other way to get them.”

“Davy Michaels is a twit.” Marissa rolled her eyes and crossed her arms across her chest. 

“Marissa Everleigh Greenwood!” Macy bellowed. “We do not use that type of language.”

“Sorry,” Marissa shrugged, clearly not sorry. Turning to Meghan she continued, “But he is. You shouldn’t feel like you have to prove anything to him. You’re super cool and he’s a loser.”

“Thanks Issa,” Meghan thanked her sister with a soft smile in her direction. 

“While I don’t approve of her word choice your sister is right. You broke the rule your mother and I set to impress a boy you have told me several times you don’t like. Was his opinion worth getting in trouble?” Harry’s normal soft tone returned. 

“No.” Meghan began to tear up and it took everything for Macy to not comfort her. She was so unused to punishing her eldest daughter. She didn’t realize she would have to physically restrain herself while she did it. 

“No tears.” Macy’s voice wavered slightly. Clearing her throat she put on her ‘mom voice’ to continue, “You know there are consequences to your actions. But in this case the punishment isn’t just for you. It’s for you brother and sisters too.” 

“What does that mean?” Madison asked as she jolted upright in her seat. 

“That means the four of you will be wearing these for the next three weeks.” Pulling four magic dampening cuffs from his back pocket Harry presented them to his children.

“The  _ four _ of us?!” Marissa cried in outrage. “But we didn’t do anything. Why should we lose our powers over something Meghan did?”

“Because,” Macy fixed her youngest daughter with a look effectively telling her to watch her tone. While she understood she was upset she wasn’t going to talk to them any type of way. “We need  _ all _ of you to understand the consequences of using your magic in public. If someone had seen you it wouldn’t just affect you. It would affect everyone in your life too.” 

“And we don’t just mean the people in this house,” Harry interjected. “We mean your Aunts Mel and Maggie. Auntie Swan, Uncle Jordan and all your cousins too.” 

“If people find out about our magic they could try to take you away from us.” Macy shifted back into a softer tone. She really didn’t want to scare them but they needed to know this was no joke. 

“The kids thought it was cool before dad came in,” Meghan reasoned.

“Kids think a lot of things are cool. It’s their parents that get scared of anything they don’t understand.” Harry rebutted. 

“We are not trying to scare you,” Macy assured. “We’re just trying to impress upon you the absolute seriousness of this situation.”

“You are  _ not _ allowed to use magic in public,” Harry stressed. “Unless it’s a matter of life and death. And even then you should try to call me or your mother first.” 

“Or one of your aunts,” Macy amended. “Exhaust  _ all _ adult options before you use magic ok?” Waiting for a nod from each of her children she finished, “You four are going to wear the cuffs for three weeks at home and at school. Also, from now on any punishments for magic use will extend to  _ all _ siblings. So if one of you gets in trouble for using magic  _ all _ of you will get in trouble too.”

“We hope this will help you understand that, when it comes to magic, you have to think about everyone your actions affect. Not just yourself.” Harry moved forward on the table and placed the cuff on each of their wrists. 

“Just punch Davy in the face next time he’s mean to you Meg,” Marissa started as she looked down at her new wrist ornament and rose from the couch. “That way he gets what he deserves and I don’t have to wear a cuff for weeks.”

“Marissa,” Harry sighed with a slight roll of his eyes.

“What?! It’s true.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm working on the next chapter now.  
> ***  
> If you didn't pick up on it the Hacy baby was a boy named Maceon - Mel and Swan had a daughter they named Mackenzie  
> ***  
> Tell me what you thought - comments and kudos make me smile!


	7. The Boys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry hates bugs but he loves his son slightly more. Certainly enough to agree to a camping trip in the middle of the bug infested wilderness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter was meant to be the last for awhile then here we go with the slapping and the writing.  
> ***  
> In the category of things I know nothing about: camping, building fires, fishing, how many lights would reasonably be in a hotel parking lot, the distance from Seattle to Anaheim.  
> Does this story include all of those things? Why yes it does.  
> Try not to look too hard at the technicalities.

It wasn’t bragging to say that Harry Greenwood was an involved parent. Only having one memory of his father made him decide he wanted to be an active part of all of his children's’ lives. He made treats for bake sales, drove carpool, hosted playdates. He was a member of the PTA and regularly, happily, volunteered to chaperone field trips. 

Because he wanted his kids to know he cared about them he would research the things they were interested in so he could talk about them. He also made a special calendar. One Saturday out of each month was used to spend one on one quality time with each child. 

Some, who knew his history, might call it over-compensating. Or say he was trying to make up for a past he only remembered the worst parts of. Not for him. For Harry, he just wanted his kids to know he loved every part of them and would always be there for them no matter what. But right now he felt like he was failing. He was lost in thoughts of his situation, sitting on the small loveseat in their bedroom, when Macy found him. As soon as she walked through the door they made eye contact. She sighed a heavy exhausted sound before she crossed the room and sat next to him. 

Lacing their fingers together she asked, “Is this a demon thing, a Harry thing or a father thing?”

“Father thing.” They’d been through this before. Him, drowning in insecurities. Her, ready to pull him out. Normally with more finesse. He was beginning to suspect there was something else going on he didn’t know about. 

“Oh thank God,” Macy sighed in relief, shoulder slumping as the tension left her body. “I just got off the phone with Mrs. Bloom and I love you very much but your daughter is terrorizing that woman with a deluge of questions again and I am running on fumes. I’m not sure I have the emotional bandwidth for anything major today.” 

“What makes you think my ‘father thing’ isn’t major?” Harry gasped, slightly affronted.

“Because I know that you are an excellent father who is often way too hard on himself,” She reasoned with a quick peck to his cheek. “So usually your ‘father things’ are solved with a quick reassuring pep talk. Then you’re back on your feet being an awesome dad again.”

“I’m not going to tell you that you have a point because I know you’ll be smug.”

“Too late.” Her smile turned giddy as she did a little bounce in her seat. Returning to seriousness she continued, “Honey, I’m sure whatever it is I’m sure it’s not as big of a deal as you’re making it. Now tell me what’s going on so we can fix it.”

Not to be dramatic but Harry wasn’t so sure this was something that could be solved with a pep talk. He thought back to last week. He and Maceon were watching TV together in the basement. When they got the basement finished they had it divided into two rooms. The main area was the kids’ entertaining space. If they had friends over they would watch movies and sleepovers down there. That way they could be safe, have fun and not bother him and Macy with their noise. 

The other half, separated by a wall and door that locked from the inside, was Harry’s ‘man cave’. It had an 80” flat screen, a large black leather sectional and three matching recliners. In the far corner there was a small bar area that had a sink, microwave and mini fridge. Harry wasn’t big on sports but he regularly had Jordan, Leon and a couple professors from work he’d made friends with over to watch the big events. He enjoyed the camaraderie.

Every Sunday he set aside a two hour block of time to watch a game with Maceon. It was their bonding time. It didn’t matter what sport or team. Harry always made sure to watch  _ something _ with his son. His daughters could be very demanding and their schedules were all over the place. At ten years old Maceon was involved in different activities but he was nowhere near as busy as his sisters were. Harry wanted to make sure he didn’t get left behind or lost in the shuffle when quality time is divvied out. 

Last week they were watching the Browns get demolished by the Patriots and one particularly impressive play happened. Harry got excited and turned to Maceon as the replay started. He wanted them to relive the moment together. However, when he turned to his son he saw that he was lost in his thoughts. Completely uninterested in the sporting event on the television. Calling his name to grab his attention, Harry asked if he’d seen the play. Maceon plastered his most convincing fake smile on his face and nodded with faux enthusiasm. Knowing he was caught he feigned interest during the rest of the game. 

Harry was heartbroken. When he started this tradition last year it was because Maceon had expressed an interest in sports. He thought if they watched games every week they were spending time together doing something they both enjoyed. But somewhere along the way Maceon had lost interest and he didn’t let Harry know. Harry didn’t want him to feel obligated; he wanted him to love the time they spent together. Girls were easier sometimes. They normally told Harry what they wanted him to do, he would do it and they would be happy. But Maceon was quiet and reserved. Harry didn’t know how to break through. 

Explaining all of this to his wife he asked her what she thought he should do. “I don’t want to be one of those fathers that forces their sons to do stuff they don’t want to do with them. I want to make sure we’re doing something we both like. But especially him.”

“Maceon is ten. I’m sure he loves any time he gets to spend with you. When he’s older he’ll think back and remember how every Sunday was reserved for time with just the two of you. He won’t remember whether or not he liked what you did. And if he does it’s not like he’s going to hold it against you.”

“You didn’t see his face Macy,” Harry enthused. “These are the years when you establish a good foundation. So when puberty hits they know they can trust you and come to you with things. If he sees me as the parent that doesn’t care about what he wants why would he come to me with his problems in the future?”

“Have you been reading the parenting books again?” Macy laughed softly.

Harry pointedly didn’t look toward the stack of parenting books he had on his bedside table as he retorted, “I do not see the humor in this situation. Be serious please. What do you think I should do? I only have a couple years left until Maceon doesn’t want to spend time with me anymore and I need to soak up every moment.”

“Why don’t you just ask him to pick something for the two of you to do together next weekend?”

“I didn’t think of that. I guess I figured he wouldn’t tell me because he didn’t want to hurt my feelings.” 

“Maceon is quiet but he’s shockingly blunt when he does talk. If you ask him a direct question he’ll answer it. He won’t beat around the bush.”

Harry took a second and thought about his son. His wife was right. He needed to amend his musings from earlier. It wasn’t that Maceon was quiet, he was more calculating. He and Marissa were two sides of the same coin. Neither cared for fluff or small talk. They preferred instead to get right to the point and make their feelings on any given subject crystal clear. The difference between them lied in the way they approach a situation. Maceon was frugal with his words. Taking time to consider every one before he spoke. He never said anything he didn’t mean and his care of speech meant he never had to retract his statements. He wouldn’t lie to Harry to spare his feelings. Avoid the conversation? Possibly. But never lie. It wasn’t in his nature. 

“You might be right,” Harry shrugged.

“Of course I am,” Macy declared as she stood from the couch and walked toward the closet to change out of her work clothes. “Now I’m going to talk to Madison about the appropriate number of questions to ask during class. Then start on dinner.” 

A distracted nod was all the answer he offered as he pulled his phone from his pocket. He shot a quick text to Maceon to ask if he wanted to go for a walk after dinner. Receiving an affirmative reply he smiled to himself and went to help with homework. He spent the rest of the evening internally running through a script for the forthcoming conversation. 

***

Once they’d finished and cleaned up dinner Maceon joined Harry on the porch. He smiled at his son and led him down the stairs turning onto the sidewalk. A few silent minutes passed. Just as Harry went to fill the silence Maceon spoke up. 

“As much as I like after dinner walks, Pop. It seems like there’s something you want to talk about.”

“What would make you think that?” Harry paused at a street corner before they crossed to a small park. He sat on a bench close to the entrance and motioned for Maceon to join him. 

“The silence,” Maceon assessed as he took the offered seat. “Normally I can’t get a word in before you start talking and asking questions about my day.” 

“You are a very smart kid,” Harry complimented with a smile. “I was just thinking about the reason I asked you to walk with me.”

“Ok…” Maceon’s voice trailed off skeptically. 

“I noticed last week, when we were watching the game, you were less than interested.”

“Oh.” Maceon cast his eyes down toward the ground. “You saw that huh?”

“Yes and I’m glad I did. Maceon do you not like watching football with me?” Harry tried to keep his voice as even as possible. He didn’t want his son to think answering truthfully would hurt his feelings. He wanted honesty and he was going to make sure he got it. 

“It’s not the you part I don’t like.” Maceon started wringing his fingers together nervously as he continued, “It’s football. Well sports in general. I’m not really a fan.”

“Oh ok. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I thought if I told you that you wouldn’t want me around on Sundays anymore.” 

“Maceon, look at me.” Harry waited until he met his eyes again before he pressed on, “I will  _ always  _ want you around. I thought you liked watching sports with me which is why I insisted we do it every week. If I’d known you didn’t want to I would’ve thought of something else for us to do.”

“Really?” The relief in Maceon’s voice was enough to break Harry’s heart. How long had this been going on before he realized?

“Yes,” He insisted. “Next time there’s something you aren’t interested in I want you to know you can tell me. You’re not going to hurt my feelings. The point is for us to do something together that we  _ both _ enjoy. That means you too bud.” Maceon nodded and looked up toward the sky. The sun was starting to set. Harry tugged on the sleeve of his shirt to bring his attention back. “How about this, you pick something for us to do next week. Whatever you want and we’ll do that.”

“Anything?” Maceon’s tone was suspicious. Harry wasn’t always the most adventurous but he would step out of his comfort zone for his only son. If it made him happy Harry would be happy too. 

“Yes,” Harry nodded with a smile. “It doesn’t have to become a tradition or anything. Maybe instead of doing the same thing every week we can try new things and that can be our tradition. How does that sound?”

Maceon nodded and they lapsed back into silence as they watched the sun set. 

“You’re a good dad.” Maceon’s unprompted compliment caused Harry’s body to jerk in surprise. How did his ten year old always know just the right thing to say at just the right time? “Can I have a few days to think about it then get back to you?” 

Pulling him into a one armed hug, Harry placed a kiss to the top of his head and said, “Of course. No pressure and no rush.” 

***

“How did your talk with Madison go?” Harry asked Macy later that night. The kids were in bed. The house was ‘clean adjacent’ and he finally had his arms wrapped around his wife. He was way too tired to try anything frisky but he was never too tired to whisper promises in her ear. 

“In one ear and out the other,” She answered, exasperated. “She’s just not challenged enough and I don’t know what to do. She’s taken every AP class she’s interested in. She’s taking classes at Seattle State. I know we didn’t want them to have jobs while they were in school but maybe we can convince the owner of the bookstore to let her work there a few hours a week. What do you think?”

“I think that’s a great idea that I am entirely too tired to fully process right now. Can we table this discussion for when I can keep my eyes open please?” He snuggled his face into her neck and placed a kiss there. 

“Sure,” She agreed with a nod. “How did your conversation with Maceon go?”

“I think it went well. He said he’s going to think about what he wants to do and get back to me. My wife told me to just ask him and he actually told me what he wanted to do. Who would’ve thought?” 

“You should listen to your wife more often.” She turned around in his arms to face him, the smug smile from earlier returning to her face.

“I should, shouldn’t I?” Pulling her into a kiss he deepened it as soon as their lips locked. A soft knock on the closed bedroom door interrupted their makeout session. “How many years until they're all away at college?”

“Too many.” Macy rolled her eyes, untangling herself from Harry she called out, “Enter mortal!”

The door slowly opened revealing the face of their only son. Harry perked up and asked, “Hey kid, what’s up?”

“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Maceon started with a pointed look at the position Harry and Macy were in, lips swollen and clothes slightly askew, then continued, “I just thought of what I want to do this weekend and I couldn’t wait to tell you.”

“What is it?” Harry inquired. 

“I want to go camping.” Looking down at his phone Maceon completely missed Harry’s look of disbelief and continued, “There’s this nice campground like two hours away. We wouldn’t even have to hike or anything.” 

Harry schooled his features before Maceon looked back toward him. His face was so hopeful and excited that Harry couldn’t bear the thought of disappointing him. So he put a smile on his face and nodded, “That sounds great! We’ll talk about it more in the morning ok?”

“Ok dad! Goodnight guys.” Maceon’s smile was bright as he left the room and closed the door behind him.

With the click of the door closing Harry’s smile fell as he let the dread creep in. He was distracted from his panic, however, by the feeling of his wife shaking beside him. Looking over at her he saw she was trying, and failing, to keep her laughter in. Her face was glowing and her amusement at the situation was annoying him. 

“Go on,” He demanded. “Say it.” 

“Harry Greenwood, you’re going to go camping?” Breaths were coming out as gasps as she spoke. 

“If my son wants to go camping then yes I am going camping. For him.” Harry resolved. 

“I’m going to be the voice of reason and point it out, since you’re clearly going to be too stubborn to admit,” Macy started, sobering slightly. “You hate outdoors and bugs and camping. This is a terrible idea.”

“But I love my son,” he countered. “So I will endure. For him.”

Macy’s laugh returned in full force. Struggling to breathe she said, “Make sure to update your will before you go. In case a dragonfly gives you a heart attack or something.” 

“That’s it!” Harry declared as he placed his hands on her sides and started to tickle her. “You’re going to pay for that.”

Her laughter filled his ears and after a few minutes it morphed into moans around the time he discovered he wasn’t too tired for certain things tonight. 

***

Early Saturday morning Harry laid in bed and looked to the ceiling. Trying his hardest to let positive thought wash over him. But as he did final checks his mood began to drift into pessimistic territory. Over the last week he’d made multiple trips to Walmart and Dick’s Sporting Goods. He also spent a little over two hours in Barnes & Noble skimming through every book on camping and the woods he could find. He left the store with two and blew through them both in one day. 

Running through his list one more time he made sure he had the three types of bug spray, mosquito net, two hats, long johns, sleeping bag and hunting knife he’d bought. He figured it was better to be over prepared than under prepared. As he scrolled through his list on his phone one more time, sure he forgot something, Maceon popped his head into the room and asked, “Ready to go dad?”

Looking up, Harry nodded and picked his backpack up from the bed. Last night he packed the car with the tent, chairs and other supplies. After a quick trip to the bathroom he and Maceon were standing at the door saying farewell to the ladies of the house. 

“Do you have everything?” Macy asked, as she adjusted the straps on Maceon’s backpack. Harry could tell she was trying to hide her nervousness but he was nice so he wouldn’t tell her that she was failing. 

“Yes mom,” Maceon rolled his eyes exasperated with his mother’s attention. 

“We have everything darling I triple checked,” Harry assured. 

“I don’t understand why we can’t go camping too,” Marissa huffed and crossed her arms. 

“Yeah this is supposed to be my Saturday with dad. So at least I should be able to go,” Madison interjected and Meghan co-signed with a nod. 

“Ladies,” Harry started with a sigh. They had been through this multiple times over the preceded week. He didn’t want to exclude his daughters but this trip was for just him and Maceon. “As I have already promised we will go camping some other time. Are there any more guilt trips you’d like to take me on before we leave?”

“None I can currently think of,” Marissa conceded as she turned toward the stairs. “Have fun with dad I guess Mace. Don’t get eaten by any bears.” 

“And on that note,” Harry started as he turned to his wife and daughters and placed a kiss on each of their cheeks. Turning back to Maceon he motioned for him to walk to the car. “I love you all and we will see you by dinner on Sunday.” 

“Have a great trip and be safe,” Macy said as she waved.

“It’ll be great!” Harry responded with a thumbs up and closed the front door behind him. 

***

Two and half hours later Harry and Maceon pulled up to the campsite. The parking lot was about twenty yards from the actual camping area. It took them two trips to get all the stuff. 

“Ok, so according to the book I read we should start by setting up our tent.” Harry moved to where they’d dropped the tent. Opening the package he took out all the components. Once he had everything laid out he looked around for the instructions. “Do you see the directions?”

“No.” Maceon moved some more stuff around and shrugged, “I can’t find them.” 

“That’s ok.” Harry waved his hand over the pieces. “I can’t be that hard to put together. The picture is on the front of the carrying case. We should be able to piece it together from that right?”

“I don’t see why not.”

After an hour of struggle Harry stepped back and watched his monstrous creation collapse in on itself. Throwing his hand up toward the sky he took a deep breath and tried to calm down before pasting a smile on his face and turning back to his son. “Maybe we should move on to something else and come back to this later.”

“I could try to cast a spell so it’ll put itself together?” Maceon offered. 

Harry considered it for a second before he looked around. That’s when he noticed the other family that must’ve pulled up after they did. They were relatively far away but Harry didn’t want to risk possible exposure. 

Shaking his head and turning back to Maceon he said, “Not this time kid. It’s not supposed to rain tonight. If we can’t get it up we can just sleep under the stars.”

“That actually sounds really cool. What do you want to do next?” 

“We could try fishing?” Harry walked to their pile and wrestled the poles from under their sleeping bags and blankets. Both still had the price tags on them but Harry ripped them off quickly and handed the smaller one to Maceon. 

“Ok! Do we need boots and the hats with the hooks on them?” Maceon looked down at their tennis shoes and back up to Harry. 

“No. We’ll just stand on the shore so we don’t get wet.”

Walking toward the lake, another ten yards from their set up, Harry asked Maceon about his week and got the standard ten year old one word answers. Maceon liked school and made good grades but he wasn’t all that invested or involved. Shifting to the subject of comics it was like the floodgates opened. Maceon loved everything superhero. His current future career choice was comic book artist. Harry didn’t know much about the subject so he was content to listen while Maceon talked. 

Arriving at the lake Harry showed Maceon the line casting technique he watched on YouTube fifty times. It took Maceon a few tries but he finally got it and cast the line a few feet in front of him. Harry was so invested in the story of Thanos' pursuit of the infinity gauntlet that he didn’t realize thirty minutes had passed and they still didn’t have any bites. Reeling in his line Harry looked at the end and realized what his hook was missing. 

“I think I forgot bait,” Harry said sheepishly. 

“Yep. That makes sense,” Maceon snorted. “Did you buy worms?”

“Buy. Worms?” Unable to hide the disgust in his face Harry shook his head.

“We could try to dig them up if you want,” Maceon offered as he looked back toward the grassy area they’d walked from. 

“Do you want to dig some up?” Harry prayed the answer was no, he’s pretty sure he didn’t bring any gloves, but he would if his son wanted to. Then take twenty showers once they were back home. 

“No,” Maceon shook his head and started to reel his line in too. “Good thing we brought food.” Their ‘food’ was a couple sandwiches and some bags of chips but it would be enough to hold them over until the next day. 

“I even brought supplies for s’mores.” He’d also watched a different YouTube tutorial on how to start a campfire. He may have bungled the tent and the fishing but how hard could a fire be? 

Very hard. 

Apparently starting a campfire was way more involved than the video he’d watched made it seem. It’d rained earlier in the day so there were no dry sticks around. He’d found some charcoal and tried to light that but it just made smoke. There wasn’t enough of a flame to roast the marshmallows. Right when Harry was about to suggest they turn in for the night a giant winged creature dove from the sky and attacked him. He ran a marathon around their area trying to get away from the thing. Once he’d finally killed it he looked around at their failed camp site and asked Maceon if he just wanted to get a hotel for the night. Maceon agreed and they packed everything up in silence. 

After he checked them in, Harry sent Maceon to the room to wash up while he called Macy to let her know what was going on. Walking into the room he found Maceon on the bed, remote in hand, flipping through the channel selections on the small TV. 

“Your mother said hi,” Harry started as he crossed to room and sat on his own bed. Grabbing the remote from Maceon he turned the TV off and continued, “I’m sorry I ruined our trip Mace. I know you wanted to go camping and I wanted to make everything perfect but the truth is I hate outdoors.”

Maceon stood from his bed, walked over and sat next to Harry. He leaned into him and rested his head on his shoulder. “It’s ok dad. If I’d known how much you didn’t like camping I wouldn’t have suggested it. I didn’t really want to go camping honestly. One of my friends said the stars were better outside the city. That’s why I wanted to come out here.”

His son was constantly surprising him. If Harry had known he wanted to see stars without the light pollution of the city he could’ve figured something out that didn’t involve being in nature. Glancing at the clock Harry noted the time, just past 11. He turned to look out the window and realized it was almost pitch black outside. Detaching from Maceon, Harry stood, walked to the window and looked around. There was only one street light outside and it was in the front by the door. He recalled a large lawn area in the back of the hotel. 

Turning back around and he smiled at Maceon, “It’s pretty dark outside now. How about we grab a couple blankets, go outside and look at the stars?”

“Really?!” Maceon perked up. At Harry’s answering nod he shot up from the bed and gathered everything they would need. 

Lying on the blanket looking up at the stars Harry had to agree with Maceon’s friend. The stars were much better away from the city. It felt like they went on forever. Maybe he didn’t hate space as much as he hated nature.

A thought occurred to him and he suggested, “Maybe next week we can go to the planetarium?”

“I’d like that,” Maceon smiled.

***

Two weeks later Harry knocked softly on Maceon’s bedroom door and waited for the answering ‘come in’ before he walked into the room. 

“What’s up dad?” Maceon asked as he set the book he was reading down and gave his father all his attention. 

“I just got an email I think you might be interested in.” Harry sat next to him on the bed and held his phone out so Maceon could see too. “It’s about a comic convention in Anaheim at the end of the year. It says here Jason Momoa is supposed to be there.”

“Are you serious?!” Maceon had told him when they were at the campground that Aquaman was his favorite hero. Harry couldn’t count the number of times he watched the movie but he did know his son thought Jason Momoa was the best thing since sliced bread. “Do you think we would be able to go?”

“We might have to bring your mother and sisters but we can leave them at the hotel while we go to the convention,” Harry joked. “Maybe this can be our new tradition. They have different conventions all over the country. No pressure but it could be fun.” Going to different cities around the country and staying in air conditioned hotel rooms? That was something Harry would be more than happy to do every year. 

“Yeah! That sounds really fun.” Maceon was practically vibrating with excitement. “Do you think we could dress up? You could be Dr. Strange, the girls can be the Powerpuff Girls and mom can be Jean Grey.”

“And who are you going to be? Aquaman?”

“No. I’m going to be Captain Marvel,” Maceon scoffed. Harry loved seeing him so happy and enthusiastic about something he was interested in. 

“Not to judge but isn’t that a woman?” Harry didn’t want to stop his son from dressing up as who he wanted but he wanted to be sure he had the right person. 

“Oh dad,” Maceon rolled his eyes and stood from his bed. Walking over to his bookshelf he took out a comic and sat it on Harry’s lap. Looking down Harry saw a smiling young man in a red suit with a gold lined white cape and gold lightning bolt on the chest. “You have a lot to learn.” 

And he would. He would do anything for any of his kids. If that meant he would have to spend the next six months learning how to sew and the difference between Slade and Wade Wilson he didn’t mind. 

Harry Greenwood didn’t do ‘half-ass’ when it came to being a dad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so there is one more chapter which will be the last chapter for awhile. I have some other ideas I want to write and get out to you guys but if you have any more ideas please let me know. They might give me inspiration for future chapters. Or future fics. Thank you so much for all the wonderful and encouraging comments and kudos and thank you for reading!  
> Until Next Time! Peace!


	8. The Farewell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you have magic in your life saying goodbye doesn't have to be hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is really it guys.  
> This is going to be the last chapter for this story for a while.  
> I know I've said that before but I mean it this time.  
> ***  
> For reference: Maceon is 15, Marissa is 18 and the twins are 21.  
> ***  
> With that in mind please enjoy!

“Ok, do you have your Book of Shadows?” Macy asked as she looked around the room for said book. 

“Yes.” Marissa pointed to where it rested on her desk. 

“Your mortar, pestle and potion ingredients?” 

“Yes mom,” Marissa sighed, exasperation growing. 

“And your watch so you can summon me if you need me?” 

“Mom!” Marissa’s raised volume shook Macy out of her trance. Walking to her she grabbed her hand and enthused, “I have everything.”

“Ok...yeah…” Macy nodded as she let her eyes drift around the dorm then back to her daughter. 

Today was the day Macy had been dreading since her strong willed daughter was born. They were dropping her off for her freshman year of college. Her practical minded twins chose to take advantage of the benefits of Harry’s employment at Seattle University by attending the school tuition free. They then used their scholarship and grant money to pay for room and board. Marissa, ever the free spirit, chose to pursue her academic career at Spelman College. She was going to be majoring in criminal justice with a double minor in pre-law and english. Her daughter’s current career ideas were FBI profiler, district attorney or ruler of a small country. 

Her nephew Malcolm started at Morehouse last year. Marissa took a visit to him for family weekend as an opportunity to tour some colleges in the area. Once she set foot on Spelman’s campus her search was over. Macy tried to convince her to look at schools closer to home to no avail. Her daughter’s defining trait was her determination, and stubbornness. She was not going to change her mind and Macy didn’t want to hold her back. But her anxiety over having her youngest daughter at school on the other side of the country was threatening to consume her. 

The whole family had spent an entire week driving to Georgia from Washington and moving Marissa in. The time had come for final goodbyes and Macy was not ready to leave. 

“Your father and brother are returning the U-Haul and the twins are road tripping the rental car back to Seattle.” Macy took stock of where their other family members were. In a few weeks the twins would be starting their final year of undergrad. Madison was going to earn her Bachelor’s in Nursing. She was going to take a year off from school and start work at a prestigious hospital in the Seattle area. After that she was going to go to grad school to become a nurse practitioner. Her goal was to have the hospital pay for her graduate education then she wanted to open a small non profit clinic. With Meghan’s Bachelor’s in English she was going straight into the creative writing graduate program at SU. She already had several publishing companies waiting in the wings for her after she earned her Master’s in Fine Arts. “And you’re staying here. In Atlanta. Two thousand miles away from me.”

“And with a quick portal or shout that two thousand miles is right next to you,” Marissa responded in an attempt to lighten the mood with humor but Macy was too far into panic mode for it to work. 

“Yep. You are right...yep,” Macy’s voice trailed off to silence before a thought crossed her mind and she asked, “Do you have your credit card and bank information?” 

“Yes,” Marissa sighed once again. 

“And you know where the nearest Safe Space is right?”

“Yes mom.”

Macy saw her annoyance was growing since they’d been through this list no less than twenty times over the last week alone but she couldn’t help it. She demanded softly, “Tell me.”

“Do I have to?” Marissa whined. Macy gave her patented no nonsense look and she began repeating the directions she had been tasked with memorizing, “Down Bleecker. Left on North Highway 39. Two blocks up on the left.”

“And the address,” Macy pressed. 

“5284 Peachtree Ave,” Marissa continued with a roll of her eyes. “Everything will be fine mom. I promise. And Malcolm’s right across the street if I need him too.” 

“I know. It’s just that the twins went to SU. They didn’t move so far. So I have no practice dropping my kid off at a college so far away.”

“That’s true but I’m not the twins.” Removing her hand from her mother’s Marissa went and sat on the small black futon they spent the better part of an hour putting together. Macy sat beside her and tentatively grabbed her hand again. She wasn’t ready to let go just yet. 

“Was it us?” Macy asked as she looked Marissa in the eye. “Did we do something to make you want to come all the way to Spelman for college? Did we smother you too much or were we too hard on you? What made you want to be so far away from us?”

“Honestly?” At Macy’s answering nod Marissa continued, “I just really liked the school and I thought it would be cool to go here.” Macy's head jerked back, face visibly shocked by her daughter’s answer. “What’s wrong mom?”

“It’s nothing...it’s just…” Macy stuttered then stopped to take a breath and collect her thoughts. “I remembered having this same conversation with my dad when I went to Oxford for my doctoral program.”

“Really?” Marissa was always interested in stories about the grandfather she’d never met. Macy didn’t talk about her late father much but when she did she mostly described him as a stoic but loving man. Just about the complete opposite of their Papa Ray in every way. So she understood that the revelation that he expressed such emotion over his daughter moving to another country would be surprising. 

“Yes,” Macy twisted her body on the futon until her thigh rested on the seat and her torso faced her daughter. “You know I went to boarding school for high school. But it wasn’t far. I went home just about every weekend to spend time with him. Undergrad at NYU and grad school at Columbia. All relatively close. But I got this great opportunity at Oxford and when I saw the campus I just fell in love.” Thinking of the first time she saw Oxford’s campus made a fond smile creep onto her face, eyes unfocused as she let herself be swept up in the memory.

“At the time I had a choice between Dartmouth and there and I just _knew_ I had to go to Oxford. He thought I was trying to get away from him.” The smile on her face fell with the changing memory. “That he was too tough on me, he was, but that wasn’t it. I just loved the school. It didn’t occur to me that going there would mean being far from him until he brought it up.” 

Focusing back on Marissa, back in the present, she gripped her hand a little harder and continued with a shrug of her shoulders, “I only lasted a year before I missed him so much I had to come back. That’s why I finished at Columbia. But he understood and supported my decision to go. He didn’t try to hold me back and I’m trying really hard to do the same. It’s just not easy at all.” The world was a safer place now that the faction had been gone for almost two decades but to Macy the safest place for her children was home with her. 

“One big difference?” Marissa adopted her father’s optimistic tone and continued, “We have magic. So if you’re missing me you can pop over and we can grab lunch. No need to miss me for long.”

“That doesn’t mean I won’t miss you.” Macy started to tear up with the words and Marissa pulled her into a hug. 

“Alright ladies!” Harry's voice echoed through the small dorm as he called out to them. He stopped in the doorway, Maceon behind him, when he saw their position on the futon and brought his voice down to a softer tone. “The truck had been returned and the twins are off on their adventure. Ready to go?”

“I think so,” Macy nodded. Leaning away from her daughter she stood. Marissa followed her lead and opened her arms in invitation. Macy, Harry and Maceon enveloped her in a bone crushing group hug. 

Harry’s face was pressed against her ear as he said, “You have everything and we’re never far. Try to keep power usage to a minimum.”

“Ok dad,” Marissa nodded. 

“Have fun,” He continued. He pulled back and stepped back toward the doorway. “But not too much you know?”

“Yes dad,” She rolled her eyes. 

Maceon had his arms around her from behind and his chin rested on her shoulder. He would be taller than her by next year. He asked, “You’re really leaving me alone with these two emotional wrecks?”

“Mads and Megs are right down the street. And as I keep reminding our parents I am just an orb away. Don’t make me repeat it to you too.” 

“An orb away isn’t down the hall.” His tone was sad.

Marissa’s voice shook but no tears fell as she said, “Look mister empath you keep your emotions away from me. Everything is going to be fine.”

“Maybe they’ll get me a dog to help cope with my loneliness,” He responded with a laugh as he let her go and went to stand beside their father. 

“Unlikely but please try. That’s a story I’d love to hear.” 

Macy held onto Marissa for a few extra moments before she pulled back. Cupping her daughter's face she looked into her eyes and gave her a watery smile. “I love you. Be safe.”

“I love you too mom and I will. I promise,” Marissa declared.

Macy let her daughter go and walked to her husband’s other side. With one last wave to her family they were gone in a flash of light. She looked around her home away from home and basked in the silence for a moment before she went in search of her phone. It was way too quiet. She was going to invite some girls she’d met at orientation over. This way she could avoid the whole sadness thing and impress them with her single dorm room. 

***

Two weeks later Macy was enjoying a movie with Harry and Maceon in the living room. As the film approached its climax the sparkling green of a portal opened in the doorway between the living and dining room. 

Once the circular portal stopped growing Marissa walked through with her blue laundry bag slung over her shoulder. Macy jumped up from the couch and crossed the room to her daughter. She was hugging her and peppering her face with kisses before the portal finished closing. 

“What are you doing here?” Macy asked with her arms around her waist, face buried in her hair. 

“Laundry.” Marissa shrugged and gestured to the bag she’d set down. 

“You had to come all the way across the country to do laundry?” Harry asked in a knowing tone.

“I may have also missed you a very small amount.” Marissa poked her tongue out at her father when he only smirked in response to her answer. Macy waved a hand behind her in obvious dismissal of her husband and began to walk with her daughter to the laundry room. 

“Forget him. Tell me all about school. I want to hear everything.” She and Marissa talked and texted just about everyday but she was always on the go so Macy was excited for an actual in depth conversation about her first couple of weeks at college. 

Once they’d arrived in the laundry room Marissa opened her bag to start separating her clothes. Taking a breath to gush about her school she paused at the faint sound of a bark. Closing her mouth she threw a questioning look to her mother and cocked her head to the side in the direction the sound came from. 

“Your brother can be very persuasive at times,” Macy answered with a laugh. Marissa joined in as she went back to her clothes. She started her detailed recap. 

They stayed up until way too late as they talked about everything. She hated to admit it, and she never would to his face, but her brother was right. A portal away wasn’t down the hall. She loved Spelman too much to consider any other school but maybe she would consider a magical commute next year. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are.  
> Like I've said I have other stories I want to work on so I'm going to leave this here for now. If you have any ideas please let me know. I may be able to incorporate them into future chapters or stories.  
> I want to thank everybody for the comments and kudos and general positivity in response to this story. Thank you so much!  
> I have other stories that you can read too if you haven't yet.  
> I have more on the way!  
> Until next time! Peace.


End file.
